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

Mendel, 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 Mendel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mendel in America

Mendel is the 11846th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mendel surname appeared 2,642 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Mendel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mendel 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 Mendel

The surname Mendel has its origins in the German language, and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "mendel," which means "protector" or "defender." The name was initially prevalent in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Swabia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mendel can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a medieval manuscript from the 13th century, where it is mentioned as "Mendel de Norinberg." This suggests that the name was already in use in the city of Nuremberg during that time period.

The Mendel surname has also been linked to various place names in Germany, such as Mendelsheim and Mendelsbach. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Mendel name, who may have been influential or prominent figures in those areas.

Among the notable individuals who bore the Mendel surname throughout history is Gregor Johann Mendel (1822-1884), the Austrian monk and scientist widely regarded as the founder of modern genetics. His groundbreaking work on pea plant hybridization laid the foundation for our understanding of heredity and genetic inheritance.

Another prominent figure was Kurt Mendel (1874-1946), a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) from 1912 to 1933.

In the realm of literature, Walther Mendel (1925-2008) was a German writer and poet, known for his works exploring themes of war, displacement, and the human condition. He received several literary awards throughout his career, including the Georg Büchner Prize in 1981.

The name Mendel has also been associated with the world of music. Arthur Mendel (1905-1979) was an American musicologist and educator, renowned for his contributions to the study of Baroque music and the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Lastly, the surname Mendel has been carried by notable figures in the field of law, such as Hans Mendel (1897-1969), a German lawyer and judge who played a significant role in the Nuremberg Trials, serving as a member of the prosecution team.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mendel

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

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

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

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