2000
#13,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,005
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Kissell
A German occupational surname referring to a maker of a large vat or tub, derived from the Middle High German "kizzil."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,348 Americans carry the last name Kissell. That puts it at #14,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kissell 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
2.3K
1 in 145,977
Census rank
#14,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,048 bearers of the surname Kissell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kissell, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kissell
The surname Kissell originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely in the areas now known as Germany and Switzerland. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "kusse," meaning "cushion" or "pillow."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kissell can be traced back to the 13th century in various German town and village records. One notable example is a mention of a "Heinrich Kissell" in the Augsburg tax records of 1287.
As the name spread across Europe, various spelling variations emerged, such as Kissel, Kiessel, and Küssel. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.
In the 16th century, the Kissell surname made its way to England, where it was recorded as "Kyssell" in the parish records of Gloucestershire in 1542. This early English spelling variation likely resulted from the anglicization of the German pronunciation.
Notable individuals with the surname Kissell throughout history include:
1. Johann Kissell (1598-1662), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg.
2. Christoph Kissell (1732-1807), a Swiss clockmaker renowned for his intricate timepieces.
3. Wilhelm Kissell (1822-1889), a German-born American Civil War veteran who fought for the Union Army.
4. Anna Kissell (1874-1958), a pioneering German-American educator and advocate for women's rights.
5. Ernst Kissell (1909-1997), a German-born American physicist who contributed to the development of radar technology during World War II.
While the surname Kissell is not among the most common, it has left its mark on various regions and historical periods, reflecting the rich cultural diversity and migration patterns of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kissell
Among Census respondents with the surname Kissell, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kissell 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 Kissell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 1,936
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 45
- Two or more races1.9% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kissell
Kissell 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
#13,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,322
+317 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 664 places
2020
#14,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,048
-274 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 910 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,830 | 2,005 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,166 | 2,322 | 0.79 | +317 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 664 places |
| 2020 | #14,076 | 2,048 | 0.69 | -274 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 910 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 Kissell 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 | #13,166 | #14,076 | -6.9% |
| Count | 2,322 | 2,048 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.69 | -13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kissell bearers went from 2,322 to 2,048 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 910 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,166 to #14,076.
FAQ
Kissell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kissell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,348 living Americans carry the surname Kissell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,977 residents.
How common is Kissell?
Kissell ranks #14,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,048 people with the surname Kissell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,348), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kissell.
Has Kissell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kissell went from 2,322 recorded bearers to 2,048. That is a decrease of 274 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,166 to #14,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Kissell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kissell, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Kissell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (1,936 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kissell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (2.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Kissell (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 Kissell mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker of a large vat or tub, derived from the Middle High German "kizzil." 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 Kissell (0.69 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 are called Kissell?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Kissell, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.