2000
#6,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.91
Rare Last name
Henkel
Derived from a German surname meaning "hen," likely referring to a poultry farmer or seller of poultry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,736 Americans carry the last name Henkel. That puts it at #6,524 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,755 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Henkel 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
5.7K
1 in 59,755
Census rank
#6,524
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,002 bearers of the surname Henkel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6524th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Henkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Henkel
The surname Henkel is of German origin, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Middle High German word "henkel," which means "handle" or "loop." This likely referred to an occupation or trade related to the production or use of handles, such as a maker of pots, cups, or other vessels with handles.
The name Henkel was initially concentrated in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It is found in historical records from these areas, such as church registers and tax rolls. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in a document from the town of Nuremberg, dated 1372, which mentions a "Hans Henkel."
Over the centuries, the Henkel surname has had several variations in spelling, including Henckel, Hengkel, and Henkell. These variations were often the result of regional dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping. The name has also been associated with certain place names in Germany, such as Henkelhausen and Henkelberg, although the exact connection between these places and the surname is unclear.
Notable individuals with the surname Henkel throughout history include:
1. Johann Henkel (1517-1598), a German theologian and Protestant reformer.
2. Peter Henkel (1630-1696), a German Pietist minister and founder of the Henkel Press in New Germantown, Pennsylvania.
3. Gerhard Henkel (1782-1858), a German industrialist and founder of the Henkel Company, known for its household products.
4. Wilhelm Henkel (1825-1910), a German-American businessman and co-founder of the Henkel Brewing Company in Belleville, Illinois.
5. Otto Henkel (1888-1962), a German chemist and industrialist who served as the CEO of the Henkel Company from 1920 to 1952.
The Henkel surname has been carried across various parts of the world through migration and diaspora, particularly from Germany to North America, where it is still prevalent today. However, this report focuses solely on the historical origins and development of the surname, without delving into modern census data or its use as a given name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Henkel
Among Census respondents with the surname Henkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Henkel 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 Henkel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 4,628
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 174
- Two or more races2.3% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 38
- Black or African American0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Henkel
Henkel 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
#6,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,135
-26 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Down 473 places
2020
#6,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,002
-133 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Up 71 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,122 | 5,161 | 1.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,595 | 5,135 | 1.74 | -26 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 473 places |
| 2020 | #6,524 | 5,002 | 1.67 | -133 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 71 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 Henkel 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 | #6,595 | #6,524 | 1.1% |
| Count | 5,135 | 5,002 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.74 | 1.67 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Henkel bearers went from 5,135 to 5,002 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 71 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,595 to #6,524.
FAQ
Henkel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Henkel?
Name Census estimates that about 5,736 living Americans carry the surname Henkel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,755 residents.
How common is Henkel?
Henkel ranks #6,524 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,002 people with the surname Henkel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,736), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Henkel.
Has Henkel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Henkel went from 5,135 recorded bearers to 5,002. That is a decrease of 133 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,595 to #6,524.
What does the Census say about the background of Henkel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Henkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Henkel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (4,628 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Henkel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Henkel (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 Henkel mean?
Derived from a German surname meaning "hen," likely referring to a poultry farmer or seller of poultry. 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 Henkel (1.67 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 Henkel?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Henkel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.