2000
#12,340
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,310
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Lebel
French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of blades or swords.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,571 Americans carry the last name Lebel. That puts it at #13,078 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,316 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lebel 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
2.6K
1 in 133,316
Census rank
#13,078
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,242 bearers of the surname Lebel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13078th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lebel
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lebel 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 Lebel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,081
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 72
- Two or more races2.6% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 18
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lebel
Lebel 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
#12,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,516
+206 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 17 places
2020
#13,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,242
-274 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 721 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,340 | 2,310 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,357 | 2,516 | 0.85 | +206 bearers (+8.9%) | Down 17 places |
| 2020 | #13,078 | 2,242 | 0.75 | -274 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 721 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 Lebel 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 | #12,357 | #13,078 | -5.8% |
| Count | 2,516 | 2,242 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.75 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lebel bearers went from 2,516 to 2,242 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 721 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,357 to #13,078.
FAQ
Lebel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lebel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,571 living Americans carry the surname Lebel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,316 residents.
How common is Lebel?
Lebel ranks #13,078 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,242 people with the surname Lebel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,571), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Lebel.
Has Lebel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lebel went from 2,516 recorded bearers to 2,242. That is a decrease of 274 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,357 to #13,078.
What does the Census say about the background of Lebel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Lebel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,081 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lebel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Lebel (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 Lebel mean?
French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of blades or swords. 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 Lebel (0.75 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 Lebel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.