2000
#10,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,837
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Hempel
Derived from a German place name, likely referring to a person from any of several settlements called Hempel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,635 Americans carry the last name Hempel. That puts it at #12,799 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,078 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hempel surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,078
Census rank
#12,799
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,298 bearers of the surname Hempel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12799th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hempel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hempel
The surname Hempel originated in Germany, and it is believed to have emerged in the 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "hempil," which means "small field" or "small plot of land." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived or worked on a small piece of agricultural land.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Hempel can be traced back to various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Silesia, and Brandenburg. In the 15th century, there are mentions of individuals with the surname Hempel in historical records, such as local tax registers and church documents.
One notable figure with the surname Hempel was Johann Hempel, a German composer and organist who lived from 1567 to 1642. He was known for his contributions to sacred music during the Renaissance period. Another individual of historical significance was Carl Gustav Hempel, a German-American philosopher and logician who lived from 1905 to 1997 and made significant contributions to the philosophy of science and logic.
In the 18th century, the Hempel surname appeared in various place names across Germany, such as Hempelmühle (Hempel's Mill) and Hempelhof (Hempel's Farm). These place names likely originated from the presence of individuals with the surname Hempel in those respective localities.
Johann Wilhelm Hempel, a German botanist and pharmacist who lived from 1724 to 1804, was another notable figure with this surname. He made significant contributions to the study of medicinal plants and their properties.
Another individual worth mentioning is Walter Hempel, a German rower who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and won a silver medal in the men's coxed fours event.
While the surname Hempel has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, the name's origins and historical significance remain closely tied to its German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hempel
Among Census respondents with the surname Hempel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hempel bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hempel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 2,084
- Two or more races4.7% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hempel
Hempel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,819
-18 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 803 places
2020
#12,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,298
-521 bearers (-18.5%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 1,583 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,413 | 2,837 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,216 | 2,819 | 0.96 | -18 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 803 places |
| 2020 | #12,799 | 2,298 | 0.77 | -521 bearers (-18.5%) | Down 1,583 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hempel surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,216 | #12,799 | -14.1% |
| Count | 2,819 | 2,298 | -18.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.77 | -19.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hempel bearers went from 2,819 to 2,298 (-18.5% change). The surname moved down 1,583 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,216 to #12,799.
FAQ
Hempel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hempel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,635 living Americans carry the surname Hempel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,078 residents.
How common is Hempel?
Hempel ranks #12,799 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,298 people with the surname Hempel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,635), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hempel.
Has Hempel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hempel went from 2,819 recorded bearers to 2,298. That is a decrease of 521 (-18.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,216 to #12,799.
What does the Census say about the background of Hempel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hempel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hempel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,084 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hempel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hempel (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hempel mean?
Derived from a German place name, likely referring to a person from any of several settlements called Hempel. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hempel (0.77 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Hempel?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Hempel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.