2000
#107,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 154
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Massell
A variation of the French surname Mazel, derived from an Old French word meaning fortunate or lucky.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Massell. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Massell 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Massell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Massell, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Massell
The surname Massell has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Mossell or Mousell in Shropshire. This place name is thought to have derived from the Old English words "mus" meaning mouse and "hyll" meaning hill, suggesting a connection to a mouse-infested hill or a hill resembling a mouse.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Massell can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire from 1273, where it appears as "Richard de Moushill". This historical document provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames and landownership in medieval England.
In the 16th century, the name Massell appeared in various spellings such as Mossell, Mousell, and Masell, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era. One notable individual from this period was John Massell, a merchant who lived in London in the late 1500s.
The Massell surname also has ties to the North American colonies. In 1635, a man named Robert Massell immigrated to Massachusetts from England, becoming one of the earliest bearers of this name in the New World. His descendants would go on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States.
In the 19th century, the Massell name gained prominence with the life of James Wood Massell (1799-1869), a prominent lawyer and judge from Virginia. He served as a circuit court judge and was widely respected for his legal expertise and integrity.
Another notable figure was John Massell (1829-1905), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Cannon Street Hotel and the City of London Club. His works exemplified the Victorian architectural style and left a lasting legacy in the cityscape of the era.
The Massell surname also has a connection to the military. During World War I, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Massell (1878-1958) served in the British Army and was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Throughout its history, the Massell surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from merchants and lawyers to architects and military officers. While its origins can be traced back to a specific location in medieval England, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the journey and achievements of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Massell
Among Census respondents with the surname Massell, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Massell 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 Massell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 111
- Black or African American3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Massell
Massell 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-29 bearers (-18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,674 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,076 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #107,038 | 154 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-18.8%) | Down 27,674 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 8,076 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 Massell 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 | #134,712 | #142,788 | -6.0% |
| Count | 125 | 119 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Massell bearers went from 125 to 119 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 8,076 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #142,788.
FAQ
Massell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Massell?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Massell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Massell?
Massell ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Massell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Massell.
Has Massell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Massell went from 125 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Massell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Massell, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Massell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Massell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Black (3.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Massell (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 Massell mean?
A variation of the French surname Mazel, derived from an Old French word meaning fortunate or lucky. 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 Massell (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 people are called Massell?
Find out how many people have the surname Massell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.