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

Igel, 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 Igel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Igel in America

Igel is the 47272nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Igel surname appeared 449 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Igel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Igel 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 Igel

The surname IGEL originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 14th century. The name is derived from the German word "Igel," which means "hedgehog." It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone with spiky hair or a prickly personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the IGEL surname can be found in the town records of Heidelberg, where an individual named Hans Igel was mentioned in 1387. Another early reference is from the city of Nuremberg, where a Johannes Igel was listed as a guild member in 1412.

During the Middle Ages, the IGEL name was primarily concentrated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Over time, the surname spread to other parts of the country, and various spelling variations emerged, such as Igl, Igele, and Igeln.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the IGEL surname was Valentin Igel, a German printer and publisher who was active in Nuremberg between 1520 and 1550. His work contributed to the dissemination of religious and philosophical texts during the Reformation era.

Another historical reference is found in the records of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), where a soldier named Jakob Igel is mentioned as serving in the German Protestant forces. This provides evidence of the surname's presence during this turbulent period in European history.

In the 18th century, Johann Caspar Igel (1711-1778) was a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor at the University of Halle. His works on criminal law and legal theory were influential in shaping the legal system of the time.

Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure was the German writer and philosopher Max Igel (1835-1901), whose literary works explored themes of existentialism and the human condition.

Another individual of note was the German architect and urban planner Gustav Igel (1867-1942), who was responsible for the design of several landmark buildings in Berlin and other German cities in the early 20th century.

While the IGEL surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the German cultural and linguistic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Igel

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

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 Igel 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 Igel 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 Igel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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