2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Henschell
A German surname likely derived from a place name referring to a place of hemp cultivation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Henschell. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Henschell 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Henschell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Henschell, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Henschell
The surname Henschell originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the German word "Henschel," which was a diminutive form of the personal name "Johannes" or "Hans." The name may have initially been used as a nickname for someone named Johannes or Hans.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Henschell surname can be found in a German church record from the city of Mainz in 1432, where a man named Heintz Henschell is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Henschell name appears in various historical documents across different parts of Germany. For example, a record from 1548 in the town of Weilburg mentions a farmer named Hans Henschell. Another record from 1562 in Nuremberg refers to a merchant named Christoph Henschell.
The Henschell surname has also been associated with certain place names in Germany. For instance, the village of Henschelberg in Saxony may have derived its name from the Henschell family, suggesting that they had a presence in that region.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the Henschell surname. One prominent figure was Johann Henschell (1652-1712), a German composer and organist who was active in the latter part of the 17th century and is known for his sacred music compositions.
Another notable Henschell was Georg Henschell (1789-1856), a German physician and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of botany and zoology. He published several works on the flora and fauna of Germany during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, August Henschell (1825-1891) was a successful German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Henschel & Sohn locomotive and machinery manufacturing company in Kassel, which played a vital role in the industrialization of Germany.
Additionally, Karl Henschell (1866-1946) was a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other parts of Germany in the early 20th century, including the Luisenstadt Church and the Chausseehaus.
Finally, Otto Henschell (1883-1960) was a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) who served as a member of the Reichstag and later as a member of the Bundestag after World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Henschell
Among Census respondents with the surname Henschell, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Henschell 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 Henschell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 116
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Henschell
Henschell 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+10 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 174 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,186 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 174 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 8,186 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 Henschell 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 | #133,863 | #142,049 | -6.1% |
| Count | 126 | 120 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Henschell bearers went from 126 to 120 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 8,186 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,049.
FAQ
Henschell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Henschell?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Henschell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Henschell?
Henschell ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Henschell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Henschell.
Has Henschell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Henschell went from 126 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Henschell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Henschell, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Henschell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Henschell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Henschell (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 Henschell mean?
A German surname likely derived from a place name referring to a place of hemp cultivation. 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 Henschell (0.04 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 share the surname Henschell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.