2000
#11,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,446
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Hinkel
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of chickens or poultry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,554 Americans carry the last name Hinkel. That puts it at #13,160 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,203 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hinkel 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 134,203
Census rank
#13,160
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,227 bearers of the surname Hinkel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13160th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hinkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hinkel
The surname Hinkel has its origins in Germany, with records of the name dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "hinkel," which means "little chicken" or "chick." This nickname was likely given to someone with a chicken-like gait or mannerisms.
In its early days, the name was found predominantly in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval tax rolls and municipal records from towns and villages in these areas.
One notable early mention of the name Hinkel appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dated around 1300. This record refers to a certain "Heinricus Hinkel," suggesting the name's existence in that region during that period.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Hinckel, Hinckell, and Hinckel. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices of the time.
Among the prominent individuals bearing the Hinkel surname throughout history is Johann Hinkel (1518-1589), a German theologian and Reformist scholar from Augsburg. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
Another notable figure is Gottfried Hinkel (1647-1709), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of the Baroque music style and his compositions for the organ.
In the 19th century, Karl Hinkel (1812-1892) was a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Berliner Schloss (Berlin Palace) and the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery).
Wilhelm Hinkel (1876-1957), a German politician and member of the Nazi Party, served as the Gauleiter (district leader) of Thuringia during the Third Reich era.
Lastly, Hans Hinkel (1901-1960) was a German football player and manager who played for several clubs in the early 20th century, including Bayern Munich and the German national team.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hinkel
Among Census respondents with the surname Hinkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hinkel 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 Hinkel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,043
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 66
- Two or more races3.0% · 66
- Black or African American1.0% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hinkel
Hinkel 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
#12,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,449
+3 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 905 places
2020
#13,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,227
-222 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 523 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,732 | 2,446 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,637 | 2,449 | 0.83 | +3 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 905 places |
| 2020 | #13,160 | 2,227 | 0.75 | -222 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 523 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 Hinkel 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 | #12,637 | #13,160 | -4.1% |
| Count | 2,449 | 2,227 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.75 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hinkel bearers went from 2,449 to 2,227 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 523 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,637 to #13,160.
FAQ
Hinkel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hinkel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,554 living Americans carry the surname Hinkel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,203 residents.
How common is Hinkel?
Hinkel ranks #13,160 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,227 people with the surname Hinkel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,554), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Hinkel.
Has Hinkel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hinkel went from 2,449 recorded bearers to 2,227. That is a decrease of 222 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,637 to #13,160.
What does the Census say about the background of Hinkel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hinkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (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 Hinkel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,043 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hinkel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (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 Hinkel (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 Hinkel mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of chickens or 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 Hinkel (0.75 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 Hinkel?
Want to know how common the surname Hinkel is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.