2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lindsell
Habitational surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "linden tree valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Lindsell. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lindsell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lindsell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Lindsell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lindsell, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lindsell
The surname Lindsell is of English origin, and its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "lind" and "sele," which translate to "lime tree" and "hall" or "dwelling," respectively. This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who resided in a dwelling or settlement near a lime tree or a lime grove.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Lindsell can be found in various historical documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. It is believed to have originated in the county of Essex, where several villages and hamlets bore variations of the name, such as Lindsell and Lindsell Hall.
One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a legal record dating back to 1285, where a certain John de Lyndesele is mentioned. This suggests that the surname had already been established and in use during the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the Lindsell family gained prominence, with several members holding positions of importance. Sir John Lindsell, who lived during the reign of Edward III (1312-1377), served as the Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire. Another notable figure was William Lindsell, who was appointed as the Clerk of the King's Works during the same period.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Lindsell family continued to hold land and property in Essex, with various branches emerging in different parts of the county. One prominent member was Sir Christopher Lindsell (c. 1515-1580), who served as a Member of Parliament and held the position of Sheriff of Essex.
In later centuries, the Lindsell surname spread beyond Essex, with families bearing the name being found in various parts of England. One notable individual was Reverend Obadiah Lindsell (1631-1704), a Puritan minister who served as the Rector of Chilton Foliat in Wiltshire.
Another significant figure was Thomas Lindsell (c. 1737-1820), a renowned architect and surveyor who was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the former St. Luke's Hospital for Lunatics.
As the centuries progressed, the Lindsell surname continued to be associated with individuals from various professions and backgrounds, including clergy, lawyers, politicians, and academics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lindsell
Among Census respondents with the surname Lindsell, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lindsell 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 Lindsell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lindsell
Lindsell appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-9 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,408 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 6,408 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 Lindsell 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 | #148,347 | #154,755 | -4.3% |
| Count | 111 | 102 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lindsell bearers went from 111 to 102 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 6,408 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #154,755.
FAQ
Lindsell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lindsell?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Lindsell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Lindsell?
Lindsell ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Lindsell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Lindsell.
Has Lindsell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lindsell went from 111 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Lindsell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lindsell, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Lindsell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lindsell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Lindsell (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 Lindsell mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "linden tree valley." 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 Lindsell (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 common is the surname Lindsell?
Want to know how many people have the surname Lindsell? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.