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

LeBel, 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 LeBel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of LeBel in America

LeBel is the 12357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The LeBel surname appeared 2,516 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname LeBel.

We can also compare 2010 data for LeBel 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 LeBel

The surname LEBEL is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the 11th century in the region of Normandy. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "bel," meaning "handsome" or "beautiful," which was likely used as a nickname or descriptive term for a person with an attractive appearance.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname LEBEL can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this name may have been among the Norman settlers who accompanied William during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Le Bel, Le Bele, and Le Belle, reflecting the phonetic variations common in medieval times. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the scribes' interpretations.

One notable figure bearing the surname LEBEL was Jean Le Bel (c. 1290-1370), a Flemish chronicler and canon of the collegiate church of Saint-Amé in Liège. His work, "Vrayes Chroniques," provided a valuable account of the events surrounding the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

Another historical figure was Nicolas Le Bel (c. 1515-1567), a French Protestant theologian and minister who played a significant role in the early years of the Reformation in France. He was a close associate of John Calvin and served as a minister in several Reformed churches.

In the 17th century, Jacques LEBEL (c. 1625-1695) was a French architect and engineer who worked on various fortifications and military structures in France, including the renowned Citadelle of Lille, a massive fortress designed to protect the city.

The 19th century saw the birth of Auguste LEBEL (1835-1891), a French army officer and inventor who is best known for developing the Lebel rifle, one of the first modern military rifles to use smokeless powder. His innovative design was adopted by the French army in 1886 and remained in service until the early 20th century.

Lastly, one cannot overlook Gabrielle LEBEL (1887-1977), a French feminist and pacifist who campaigned tirelessly for women's rights and peace movements throughout her life. She was a co-founder of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and played a crucial role in advocating for gender equality and promoting non-violent conflict resolution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name LeBel

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

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

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

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