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

Kissel, 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 Kissel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kissel in America

Kissel is the 7042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kissel surname appeared 4,756 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Kissel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kissel 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 Kissel

The surname Kissel originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "Küsel," which means a small river or stream. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a stream or river.

One of the earliest known mentions of the Kissel surname is found in the church records of the town of Kassel, located in the state of Hesse, Germany. In 1573, a man named Hans Kissel was recorded as living in the town. It is possible that the name Kissel evolved from the place name Kassel, which itself is derived from the Old German word "Chassala," meaning a small river.

The Kissel surname began to spread beyond the Hesse region in the 17th and 18th centuries, as families migrated to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. In 1687, a Johann Kissel was born in the town of Großalmerode, located in the state of Hesse.

One of the earliest known instances of the Kissel surname outside of Germany is found in the records of the Dutch Reformed Church of New Amsterdam (present-day New York City). In 1654, a man named Hendrick Kissel, who was likely of German descent, was recorded as a resident of the colony.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the Kissel surname. One of the most famous was the German author and poet Georg Kissel (1778-1834), who was known for his works on German folklore and mythology.

Another notable Kissel was the American inventor and entrepreneur William Kissel (1848-1909), who founded the Kissel Motor Car Company in Hartford, Wisconsin. The company was known for producing high-quality automobiles in the early 20th century.

In the field of science, the German chemist Wilhelm Kissel (1857-1911) made significant contributions to the study of organic chemistry and was renowned for his work on the synthesis of various organic compounds.

The Kissel surname also has a presence in the world of sports. German footballer Florian Kissel (born 1981) played as a defender for several clubs in Germany's top professional leagues.

Finally, in the realm of music, the American composer and conductor Harold Kissel (1936-2021) was known for his contributions to contemporary classical music, serving as the director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus for over three decades.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kissel

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

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

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

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