2000
#69,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 265
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Iseli
A surname of Swiss origin denoting someone from the town of Iseltwald.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 330 Americans carry the last name Iseli. That puts it at #72,692 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,038,650 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Iseli 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
330
1 in 1,038,650
Census rank
#72,692
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
288
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 288 bearers of the surname Iseli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 72692nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Iseli, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Iseli
The surname Iseli is of Swiss origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Swiss-German word "Iseli," which means "little island" or "islet." This suggests that the name was likely derived from a geographic location, possibly a small island or a place near an island.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Iseli can be found in the town of Unterwalden, located in central Switzerland. The Iseli family is mentioned in historical records from the 14th century, where they were prominent landowners and farmers in the region.
During the 16th century, the Iseli name gained prominence in the city of Bern, where several members of the family held influential positions in the local government and religious institutions. One notable figure was Hans Iseli (1538-1612), a respected theologian and professor at the University of Bern.
In the 17th century, the Iseli family expanded their reach beyond Switzerland, with some members migrating to neighboring regions such as Alsace, France, and southern Germany. This led to variations in the spelling of the name, including Iselin and Yselin.
One of the most famous bearers of the Iseli surname was Isaak Iselin (1728-1782), a Swiss philosopher and writer who was a prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment. His works, which addressed topics such as education, politics, and economics, had a significant influence on the intellectual discourse of his time.
Another notable individual with the Iseli surname was Johann Rudolf Iselin (1819-1903), a Swiss botanist and mycologist who made significant contributions to the study of fungi. He published numerous works on the subject and is credited with discovering several new species of fungi.
The Iseli name has also been associated with various professions throughout history, including artists, writers, and entrepreneurs. One example is Rudolph Iselin (1891-1971), a Swiss businessman and philanthropist who founded the Iselin shipping company in the early 20th century.
While the Iseli surname originated in Switzerland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the Swiss-German word "Iseli" and the geographic origins associated with it in the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Iseli
Among Census respondents with the surname Iseli, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Iseli 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 Iseli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.7% · 241
- Black or African American5.6% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 15
- Two or more races3.1% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Iseli
Iseli 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
#68,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 288
+23 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 856 places
2020
#72,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 288
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 4,347 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #69,201 | 265 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #68,345 | 288 | 0.10 | +23 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 856 places |
| 2020 | #72,692 | 288 | 0.10 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 4,347 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 Iseli 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 | #68,345 | #72,692 | -6.4% |
| Count | 288 | 288 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Iseli bearers went from 288 to 288 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 4,347 positions in the national ranking, going from #68,345 to #72,692.
FAQ
Iseli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Iseli?
Name Census estimates that about 330 living Americans carry the surname Iseli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,038,650 residents.
How common is Iseli?
Iseli ranks #72,692 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 288 people with the surname Iseli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (330), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Iseli.
Has Iseli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Iseli went from 288 recorded bearers to 288. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #68,345 to #72,692.
What does the Census say about the background of Iseli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Iseli, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Iseli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.7% (241 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Iseli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.7%), Black (5.6%), Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Iseli (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 Iseli mean?
A surname of Swiss origin denoting someone from the town of Iseltwald. 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 Iseli (0.10 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 Iseli?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.