2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kwekel
A surname of Dutch origin referring to someone who raised chickens.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Kwekel. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kwekel 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Kwekel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kwekel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kwekel
The surname KWEKEL originates from the Netherlands, specifically the region of Friesland, and dates back to the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Frisian word "kwekkel," which means "quail," likely referring to someone who lived near or worked with these small birds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Dutch church records of Leeuwarden, Friesland, from the year 1594, where a certain Pieter Kwekel is mentioned. Another early reference is in the town of Dokkum, Friesland, where a man named Jelle Kwekel is listed in the birth records of 1612.
The KWEKEL surname has also been associated with certain place names in the Netherlands, such as the village of Kwekelo in the province of Overijssel. This name is believed to have originated from the same root word as the surname, suggesting a possible connection between the two.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the KWEKEL surname. In the 17th century, Hendrik Kwekel (1619-1687) was a prominent Dutch painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. Another figure was Willem Kwekel (1757-1824), a Dutch philosopher and author who wrote extensively on ethics and morality.
In the 19th century, Johannes Kwekel (1834-1901) was a renowned Dutch architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Amsterdam, including the Rijksmuseum. Additionally, Pieter Kwekel (1871-1943) was a Dutch politician who served as a member of the Dutch Parliament during the early 20th century.
More recently, Cornelis Kwekel (1905-1982) was a respected Dutch academic and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of the Frisian language and its dialects.
While the KWEKEL surname may not be as common today, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the Netherlands, particularly the Frisian region, where it likely referred to individuals associated with quails or similar birds.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kwekel
Among Census respondents with the surname Kwekel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kwekel 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 Kwekel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kwekel
Kwekel 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,033 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+15 bearers (+14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,256 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 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,033 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.4%) | Up 13,256 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 Kwekel 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 | #156,044 | #142,788 | 8.5% |
| Count | 104 | 119 | 14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kwekel bearers went from 104 to 119 (+14.4% change). The surname moved up 13,256 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #142,788.
FAQ
Kwekel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kwekel?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Kwekel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Kwekel?
Kwekel ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Kwekel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Kwekel.
Has Kwekel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kwekel went from 104 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 15 (+14.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Kwekel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kwekel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kwekel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kwekel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kwekel (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 Kwekel mean?
A surname of Dutch origin referring to someone who raised chickens. 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 Kwekel (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 Kwekel?
If you just want to know how common the surname Kwekel is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.