2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Koessel
A locational surname referring to someone from a place named Koessel, likely German in origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Koessel. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koessel 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Koessel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koessel, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koessel
The surname Koessel is believed to have originated in Germany. It likely derived from the Old German word "kussel" or "kuschel," which referred to a small hut or cottage. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a locational surname, given to someone who lived in a small dwelling or hamlet.
One of the earliest known records of the Koessel name dates back to the late 15th century in the town of Nuremberg, located in the German state of Bavaria. A document from 1487 mentions a certain Hans Koessel, a local merchant and landowner.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various historical records across different regions of Germany, including the Rhine Valley and the Palatinate. Several variations in spelling were noted, such as Kössell, Kößel, and Kuessel.
During the 17th century, the Koessel family was particularly prominent in the city of Frankfurt am Main. Johann Koessel (1629-1692) was a renowned jurist and professor of law at the University of Frankfurt. His son, Johann Philipp Koessel (1672-1735), followed in his father's footsteps and became a respected legal scholar.
In the 18th century, the Koessel name spread beyond Germany as some family members emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable individual was Friedrich Koessel (1734-1804), a German-born architect who worked extensively in Russia, designing several churches and government buildings in St. Petersburg.
The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals with the Koessel surname. Heinrich Koessel (1817-1892) was a German-American architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Old Luxembourg Consulate Building. In Germany, Karl Koessel (1854-1927) was a successful businessman and philanthropist who established the Koessel Foundation, which supported educational and cultural initiatives.
Throughout history, the Koessel name has been associated with various professions, including law, architecture, business, and academia. While the name originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by immigrants and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koessel
Among Census respondents with the surname Koessel, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Koessel 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 Koessel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 88
- Two or more races6.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koessel
Koessel 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,384 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-9 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,875 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 3,384 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 5,875 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 Koessel 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 | #149,395 | #155,270 | -3.9% |
| Count | 110 | 101 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koessel bearers went from 110 to 101 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 5,875 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #155,270.
FAQ
Koessel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koessel?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Koessel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Koessel?
Koessel ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Koessel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Koessel.
Has Koessel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koessel went from 110 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Koessel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koessel, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Koessel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koessel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Two or More Races (6.9%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Koessel (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 Koessel mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place named Koessel, likely German in origin. 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 Koessel (0.03 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 Koessel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.