2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Katzel
A Yiddish surname derived from the word "kats" meaning "cat."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Katzel. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Katzel 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Katzel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Katzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Katzel
The surname Katzel originated in the region of Bavaria, Germany, during the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Katze," meaning "cat," and was likely a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with cats or had a physical resemblance to a cat.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Johannes Katzel was listed as a resident in 1587. The name also appears in the archives of the city of Munich, with mentions of a family named Katzel living there in the early 1600s.
In the late 17th century, the Katzel surname began to spread beyond Bavaria, with records indicating families bearing the name in neighboring regions such as Saxony and Thuringia. This was likely due to migration and the expansion of trade routes during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname Katzel throughout history include Johann Katzel (1602-1679), a renowned clockmaker from Augsburg, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility of the time. Another prominent figure was Margarethe Katzel (1718-1795), a respected herbalist and midwife from the town of Regensburg.
In the 19th century, the Katzel name gained recognition in the arts, with the painter Wilhelm Katzel (1822-1892) and the composer Franz Katzel (1840-1918) both hailing from families with this surname.
Other notable individuals bearing the Katzel name include the philosopher Hans Katzel (1876-1949), who taught at the University of Berlin, and the explorer Karl Katzel (1888-1962), who led several expeditions to the Amazon rainforest in the early 20th century.
While the Katzel surname is not as widely distributed as some others, it has a rich history and a strong connection to its Bavarian roots, reflecting the diverse cultural heritage of Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Katzel
Among Census respondents with the surname Katzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Katzel 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 Katzel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 8
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Katzel
Katzel 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-11 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,820 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-9 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,769 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 18,820 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 7,769 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 Katzel 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 | #145,220 | #152,989 | -5.3% |
| Count | 114 | 105 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Katzel bearers went from 114 to 105 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 7,769 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,989.
FAQ
Katzel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Katzel?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Katzel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Katzel?
Katzel ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Katzel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Katzel.
Has Katzel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Katzel went from 114 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Katzel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Katzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Katzel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Katzel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Hispanic (7.6%), Black (2.9%). 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 Katzel (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 Katzel mean?
A Yiddish surname derived from the word "kats" 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 Katzel (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 people have the last name Katzel?
You can see how many people are called Katzel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.