Find out how popular the last name Hensel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hensel.

Hensel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hensel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hensel in America

Hensel is the 6291st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hensel surname appeared 5,429 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hensel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hensel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hensel

The surname HENSEL originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is derived from the German word "Hensel," which was a diminutive or nickname for Hans, a common German name that is the equivalent of John. The name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was small in stature or had a similar physical characteristic.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HENSEL surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, Germany. In this manuscript, a person named "Heinricus dictus Hensel" is mentioned in a record from the year 1375.

The HENSEL surname has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Henslingen, a town in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and Henselerwitz, a village in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. These place names may have contributed to the development of the surname as people migrated from these areas.

Notable individuals with the surname HENSEL throughout history include Johann Daniel Hensel (1757-1833), a German painter and etcher known for his landscapes and architectural works. Johann Gottfried Hensel (1687-1776) was a German poet and pastor from Pomerania, while Wilhelm Hensel (1794-1861) was a German painter and writer who was married to the composer Fanny Mendelssohn, the sister of the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn.

In the field of science, Gregor Hensel (1549-1618) was a German mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the development of logarithms and the study of comets. Additionally, Rebecca Hensel (1824-1872) was a German writer and translator who published works on various topics, including literature and history.

While the origins of the HENSEL surname can be traced back to medieval Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and other European countries, carried by individuals and families who emigrated from Germany over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hensel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hensel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hensel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hensel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hensel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hensel, please contact us.

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