2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Medell
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely of Spanish or Italian origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Medell. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Medell 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Medell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Medell, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.5%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Medell
The surname Medell has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "medalla," which means "medal" or "medallion." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, given to someone who worked as a medal maker or engraver.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records from the region of Aragon, particularly in the city of Zaragoza. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname was found in the "Libro de la Cadena" (Book of the Chain), a historical document from the city's archives, where a certain Rodrigo Medell was mentioned as a prominent citizen.
During the 15th century, the name was also documented in the "Llibre del Repartiment" (Book of the Distribution), a record of land grants and property distributions in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Christian reconquest. This suggests that members of the Medell family may have been among the settlers who received land in this region.
The surname Medell is also closely associated with the town of Medellín, located in the region of Extremadura, Spain. It is believed that the name may have originated from this place name, which itself is derived from the Latin word "metallum," meaning "metal" or "mine." This connection indicates that the surname could have been initially given to someone who worked in a metal mine or a related profession.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Medell. One of the earliest examples is Rodrigo Medell (c. 1280-1350), a renowned goldsmith and medal maker from Zaragoza, who was highly praised for his intricate and detailed craftsmanship.
Another prominent figure was Juana Medell (1520-1585), a skilled embroiderer and textile artist from Valencia, whose works were commissioned by the royal courts of Spain and Portugal.
In the 17th century, Pedro Medell (1602-1670) was a respected architect and engineer from Extremadura, responsible for the construction of several significant buildings and fortifications in the region.
During the 18th century, Francisco Medell (1725-1805) was a celebrated playwright and poet from Madrid, known for his satirical works that often criticized the social and political issues of his time.
More recently, in the 20th century, Antonio Medell (1910-1985) was a renowned painter and sculptor from Barcelona, whose works were heavily influenced by the Surrealist movement and gained international recognition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Medell
Among Census respondents with the surname Medell, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.5%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Medell 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 Medell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.8% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino27.5% · 33
- Two or more races7.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Medell
Medell 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+21 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,463 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-19 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,253 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +21 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 8,463 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 18,253 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 Medell 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 | #123,796 | #142,049 | -14.7% |
| Count | 139 | 120 | -13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Medell bearers went from 139 to 120 (-13.7% change). The surname moved down 18,253 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #142,049.
FAQ
Medell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Medell?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Medell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Medell?
Medell ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Medell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Medell.
Has Medell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Medell went from 139 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 19 (-13.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Medell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Medell, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.5%) and Two or More Races (7.5%). 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 Medell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.8% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Medell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.8%), Hispanic (27.5%), Two or More Races (7.5%). 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 Medell (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 Medell mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely of Spanish or Italian origin. 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 Medell (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 have the last name Medell?
Want to know how many people are called Medell? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.