2000
#9,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Medel
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a landmark or boundary called a "mojón."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,737 Americans carry the last name Medel. That puts it at #7,726 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,357 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Medel 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
4.7K
1 in 72,357
Census rank
#7,726
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,131 bearers of the surname Medel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7726th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Medel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Medel
The surname Medel originated in Spain, with its roots traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "medela," which means "remedy" or "cure," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in the medical profession or healing practices during that era.
In the early days, the Medel name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura in southern Spain. Historical records from the 13th century mention the name in connection with various noble families and landowners in these areas.
One of the earliest documented references to the Medel surname can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a medieval hunting treatise compiled in the 14th century under the patronage of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This text mentions a certain Fernan Medel, who was a huntsman in the service of the king.
The Medel name also appears in several legal documents and property records from the 15th and 16th centuries in Spain, indicating the family's presence and influence during that period. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Juan Medel (1535-1615), a Spanish priest and author who wrote extensively on religious topics.
2. Diego Medel de Munebrega (1570-1633), a Spanish historian and writer known for his works on the history of Aragon.
3. Pedro Medel (1628-1693), a Spanish sculptor and architect who contributed to various architectural projects in Madrid and Seville.
4. Tomás Medel (1760-1823), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as a government minister during the reign of Ferdinand VII.
5. Ramón Medel (1810-1887), a Spanish painter and lithographer known for his portraits and landscapes.
The Medel surname has also been documented in various forms and spellings throughout history, such as Medele, Medell, and Medelle, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences over time.
While the name Medel has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin America, through Spanish migration and colonization. However, the historical origins and earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Medel
Among Census respondents with the surname Medel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Medel 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 Medel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.6% · 3,620
- White6.3% · 262
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.9% · 201
- Two or more races0.6% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Medel
Medel 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
#7,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,620
+1,515 bearers (+48.8%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Up 2,383 places
2020
#7,726
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,131
-489 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 502 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,607 | 3,105 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,224 | 4,620 | 1.57 | +1,515 bearers (+48.8%) | Up 2,383 places |
| 2020 | #7,726 | 4,131 | 1.38 | -489 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 502 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 Medel 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 | #7,224 | #7,726 | -6.9% |
| Count | 4,620 | 4,131 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.57 | 1.38 | -12.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Medel bearers went from 4,620 to 4,131 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 502 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,224 to #7,726.
FAQ
Medel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Medel?
Name Census estimates that about 4,737 living Americans carry the surname Medel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,357 residents.
How common is Medel?
Medel ranks #7,726 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 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 4,131 people with the surname Medel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,737), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 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 Medel.
Has Medel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Medel went from 4,620 recorded bearers to 4,131. That is a decrease of 489 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,224 to #7,726.
What does the Census say about the background of Medel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Medel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Medel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (3,620 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Medel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.6%), White (6.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%). 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 Medel (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 Medel mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a landmark or boundary called a "mojón." 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 Medel (1.38 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 Medel?
Want to know how many people have the last name Medel? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.