2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Likkel
A variant spelling of the English surname "Lickell" or "Lickle", derived from a diminutive form of the name Nicholas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Likkel. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Likkel 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Likkel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Likkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Likkel
The surname LIKKEL originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "licken," which means "to lick." This may have been an occupational surname given to those who worked with livestock or as a nickname for someone with a particular habit.
One of the earliest known instances of the LIKKEL name appears in the Worms Chronicles, a 14th-century historical record from the city of Worms in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The name is listed as "Lickel" in these documents, suggesting a slight variation in spelling.
In the late 15th century, a Johannes Likkel was recorded as a resident of Heidelberg, a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This is one of the earliest specific individuals with the LIKKEL surname found in historical records.
During the 16th century, the LIKKEL name began to spread across Germany and into neighboring regions. In 1527, a Peter Likkel was born in the town of Pforzheim, located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. He is considered one of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the LIKKEL name was Hans Likkel, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Nuremberg, Bavaria. He was born in 1612 and played a significant role in the local economy and politics of the region.
Another prominent individual with the LIKKEL surname was Johann Likkel, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived in the 18th century. He was born in 1725 in the town of Jena, Thuringia, and made significant contributions to the field of theology during his lifetime.
As the LIKKEL name continued to spread throughout Germany and surrounding areas, it is possible that variations in spelling or regional variations emerged, such as Lickel or Lickell. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Likkel
Among Census respondents with the surname Likkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Likkel 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 Likkel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Likkel
Likkel 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,744 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,744 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,457 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 Likkel 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 | #151,532 | #152,989 | -1.0% |
| Count | 108 | 105 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Likkel bearers went from 108 to 105 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,989.
FAQ
Likkel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Likkel?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Likkel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Likkel?
Likkel ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Likkel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Likkel.
Has Likkel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Likkel went from 108 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Likkel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Likkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (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 Likkel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Likkel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.8%), Black (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 Likkel (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 Likkel mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname "Lickell" or "Lickle", derived from a diminutive form of the name Nicholas. 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 Likkel (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 Americans have the surname Likkel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.