2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mestel
A surname of German origin meaning one from the place called Mestel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Mestel. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mestel 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Mestel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mestel, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (8.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mestel
The surname MESTEL has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "mest," meaning "best" or "greatest," suggesting that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptor for someone who was considered exceptional or superior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MESTEL can be found in the town records of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, from the year 1587, where a certain Hans Mestel is mentioned as a resident. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during that time.
In the 17th century, the MESTEL surname appeared in various historical documents across different parts of Germany. For instance, in the church records of Kassel, Hesse, a Johannes Mestel was born in 1632. Additionally, the name was found in the tax records of Bavaria, indicating that members of the family had settled in that region as well.
During the 18th century, the MESTEL name became more widespread, with individuals bearing this surname appearing in records from various German states. One notable example is Johann Georg Mestel, a prominent theologian and philosopher born in 1734 in Saxony-Anhalt. His contributions to religious studies and ethics were significant during his lifetime.
As Germans began to emigrate to other parts of the world in the 19th century, the MESTEL surname traveled with them. In the United States, for instance, records show that a Friedrich Mestel arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1842, likely seeking new opportunities in the growing nation.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the MESTEL surname. One such figure was Karl Mestel, a German composer and music theorist born in 1826 in Leipzig. His compositions and writings on music theory were influential in his time. Another prominent MESTEL was Erich Mestel, a German-American physicist born in 1910 in Berlin, who made significant contributions to the study of stellar evolution and the interstellar medium.
Other notable individuals with the MESTEL surname include Hans Mestel, a German architect from the early 20th century known for his innovative residential designs, and Gerhard Mestel, a German businessman and entrepreneur who founded a successful manufacturing company in the post-World War II era.
While the MESTEL name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since evolved into a distinct surname with a rich history spanning centuries and crossing borders, carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mestel
Among Census respondents with the surname Mestel, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (8.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mestel 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 Mestel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.9% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino9.0% · 10
- Two or more races8.1% · 9
- Black or African American7.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mestel
Mestel 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+8 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 1,849 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-22 bearers (-16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,416 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +8 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 1,849 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-16.5%) | Down 20,416 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 Mestel 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 | #128,249 | #148,665 | -15.9% |
| Count | 133 | 111 | -16.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mestel bearers went from 133 to 111 (-16.5% change). The surname moved down 20,416 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #148,665.
FAQ
Mestel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mestel?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Mestel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Mestel?
Mestel ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Mestel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Mestel.
Has Mestel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mestel went from 133 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 22 (-16.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Mestel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mestel, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (8.1%). 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 Mestel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.9% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mestel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.9%), Hispanic (9.0%), Two or More Races (8.1%). 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 Mestel (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 Mestel mean?
A surname of German origin meaning one from the place called Mestel. 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 Mestel (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 Americans have the surname Mestel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.