2000
#7,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,031
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Markel
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Mark, which is of Latin origin meaning "warlike" or "warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,285 Americans carry the last name Markel. That puts it at #8,476 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,989 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Markel 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
4.3K
1 in 79,989
Census rank
#8,476
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,737 bearers of the surname Markel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8476th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Markel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Markel
The surname Markel is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from various place names in Germany, such as Markel or Merkl. These places were likely named after an Old German word "marc," meaning "boundary" or "border."
The earliest known record of the name Markel dates back to the 13th century, when a Johannes Markel was documented in the tax rolls of the city of Cologne in 1285. Another early reference is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, where a Henricus Markel is mentioned in 1324.
During the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Markel, Marckel, and Merkel, in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. This indicates that the name had spread across different regions, possibly through migration or trade.
One notable bearer of the name Markel was Johann Markel (1455-1518), a German theologian and humanist scholar who taught at the University of Erfurt. He was known for his writings on moral philosophy and his advocacy for educational reforms.
Another prominent figure with the surname Markel was Caspar Markel (1570-1641), a German artist and engraver from Augsburg. He was renowned for his intricate copperplate engravings, which depicted religious scenes and landscapes.
In the 17th century, the name Markel can be found in various church records and land registries across Germany. For instance, a Hans Markel is recorded as a landowner in the village of Dietenhofen, near Nuremberg, in 1632.
During the 19th century, the surname Markel gained recognition through the works of German author and playwright Friedrich Markel (1825-1899). He is best known for his satirical plays and novels, which often criticized the social and political conditions of his time.
While the surname Markel originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval German locales and the Old German word "marc," signifying its origins as a locational name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Markel
Among Census respondents with the surname Markel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Markel 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 Markel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 3,412
- Two or more races3.6% · 134
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 37
- Black or African American0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Markel
Markel 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
#8,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,126
+95 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 417 places
2020
#8,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,737
-389 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 453 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,606 | 4,031 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,023 | 4,126 | 1.40 | +95 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 417 places |
| 2020 | #8,476 | 3,737 | 1.25 | -389 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 453 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 Markel 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 | #8,023 | #8,476 | -5.6% |
| Count | 4,126 | 3,737 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.25 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Markel bearers went from 4,126 to 3,737 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 453 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,023 to #8,476.
FAQ
Markel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Markel?
Name Census estimates that about 4,285 living Americans carry the surname Markel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,989 residents.
How common is Markel?
Markel ranks #8,476 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 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 3,737 people with the surname Markel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,285), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 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 Markel.
Has Markel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Markel went from 4,126 recorded bearers to 3,737. That is a decrease of 389 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,023 to #8,476.
What does the Census say about the background of Markel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Markel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Markel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (3,412 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Markel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Markel (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 Markel mean?
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Mark, which is of Latin origin meaning "warlike" or "warrior." 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 Markel (1.25 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 Markel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.