2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Katsel
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "katze" meaning "cat".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Katsel. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Katsel 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Katsel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Katsel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Katsel
The surname KATSEL has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in the countries of Russia and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th or 16th century, during a time when surnames were becoming more widespread and standardized.
One theory suggests that KATSEL is derived from the Russian word "katsyel," which means "one who rolls or twists." This could indicate that the name may have originally referred to an occupation, such as a rope-maker or a weaver. Another possible origin is from the Ukrainian word "katsaty," meaning "to roll or wind," further supporting the connection to a trade or craft.
Early records of the KATSEL surname can be found in various historical documents, including parish registers and census records from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a Mikhail Katsel, a merchant from the city of Novgorod, in a trade ledger dating back to 1587.
The name KATSEL has also been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. One such figure was Ivan Katsel, a Russian military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. Another was Yekaterina Katsela, a Ukrainian painter and artist who lived in the late 19th century and was known for her landscapes and portraits.
Other notable individuals bearing the KATSEL surname include:
1. Andrei Katsel (1812-1879), a Russian novelist and playwright known for his works depicting life in the Russian countryside.
2. Yelena Katsela (1887-1962), a Ukrainian mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of number theory.
3. Nikolai Katsel (1914-1995), a Soviet military commander who served during World War II and later became a prominent figure in the Soviet defense industry.
4. Olga Katsela (1928-2002), a Russian-born American ballet dancer and choreographer who performed with several prestigious companies in the United States.
5. Dmitri Katsel (1963-present), a contemporary Russian-American author and journalist known for his works on Russian history and culture.
While the KATSEL surname has its origins in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, the rich history and cultural significance of this name remain firmly rooted in the Slavic regions where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Katsel
Among Census respondents with the surname Katsel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Katsel 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 Katsel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 101
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Katsel
Katsel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-16 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,012 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 15,012 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 Katsel 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 | #137,327 | #152,339 | -10.9% |
| Count | 122 | 106 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Katsel bearers went from 122 to 106 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 15,012 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #152,339.
FAQ
Katsel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Katsel?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Katsel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Katsel?
Katsel ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Katsel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Katsel.
Has Katsel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Katsel went from 122 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Katsel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Katsel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Katsel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Katsel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Katsel (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 Katsel mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "katze" meaning "cat". 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 Katsel (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 Americans have the surname Katsel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.