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

Machel, 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 Machel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Machel in America

Machel is the 120901st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Machel surname appeared 143 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Machel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Machel 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 Machel

The surname MACHEL is believed to have originated in the Rhineland region of Germany, dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "machal," which means "assembly" or "council." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who attended or resided near a town meeting place or council hall.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MACHEL can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the former Principality of Anhalt in Germany, dated around 1180. The name appears in the form "Machelen," which was likely an early spelling variation.

In the 13th century, the name MACHEL gained prominence in the town of Machelen, located in the modern-day province of Antwerp, Belgium. This town's name is believed to be derived from the same Old German root, and it is possible that the surname MACHEL was initially associated with individuals who hailed from or had connections to this particular locality.

During the Middle Ages, the name MACHEL appeared in various records across different regions of Europe. One notable example is the mention of a Johannes Machel in the Annales Fuldenses, a medieval chronicle written by monks at the Fulda Abbey in present-day Hesse, Germany, around the year 1200.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Gregorius Machel (c. 1510-1585) was a German theologian and Reformist scholar who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was born in the town of Mechelen, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire and is now located in modern-day Belgium.

Another prominent individual with the surname MACHEL was Sir Francis Machel (1588-1660), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. He served as a judge in the Court of King's Bench and was knighted in 1638.

In the 18th century, Johann Michael Machel (1718-1796) was a German composer and organist who worked in various churches and courts across Germany and Austria. He is particularly known for his organ compositions and sacred music.

The 19th century saw the birth of Sir Edward Machel (1837-1915), a British military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Straits Settlements (now part of Malaysia and Singapore) from 1887 to 1894.

While these are just a few examples, the surname MACHEL has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, with its origins rooted in the linguistic and cultural traditions of medieval Germany and the Low Countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Machel

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

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

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

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