2000
#59,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 316
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Model
English surname referring to a role model or idealized type.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 352 Americans carry the last name Model. That puts it at #69,002 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 973,734 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Model 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
352
1 in 973,734
Census rank
#69,002
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
307
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 307 bearers of the surname Model in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69002nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Model, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Model
The surname Model is of German origin, derived from the medieval Low German word "modele" or "model", meaning a pattern, mold, or example. It likely originated in the 14th or 15th century as an occupational name for a sculptor, wood-carver, or maker of models or patterns.
In its earliest recorded uses, the name was spelled "Modele" or "Modelle". One of the earliest known bearers was Johann Modelle, a woodcarver from Nuremberg, Germany, who lived in the late 15th century. His work can be found in the Church of St. Sebald in Nuremberg.
The surname Model is also found in some of the earliest parish records and tax rolls of various German states and principalities, such as the Duchy of Saxony and the Electorate of Brandenburg. For example, a record from 1492 in the town of Meissen mentions a certain Hans Modele, a carpenter.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it took on various spellings like "Modell", "Modler", and "Moddel". One notable bearer was Johann Modler, a German engraver and sculptor born in 1625 in Augsburg. His intricate woodcarvings can be seen in churches and museums across Bavaria.
In the 17th century, the name made its way to the Netherlands, where it was rendered as "Modell" or "Modelle". A prominent Dutch bearer was Jan Modelle (1645-1719), a skilled engraver and painter from Amsterdam.
As German and Dutch immigrants settled in North America and other parts of the world, the surname Model became more widespread. One of the earliest recorded instances in the American colonies was Johannes Model, who arrived in Pennsylvania from the Palatinate region of Germany in 1732.
Other notable bearers of the surname Model include Gottlieb Model (1775-1856), a German painter and etcher; Karl Model (1912-1998), a German general during World War II; and Lizzie Model (1856-1937), an American suffragist and temperance activist.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Model
Among Census respondents with the surname Model, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Model 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 Model surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 252
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 23
- Two or more races4.2% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 11
- Black or African American2.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Model
Model 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
#69,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 281
-35 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 10,024 places
2020
#69,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 307
+26 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 791 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,769 | 316 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #69,793 | 281 | 0.10 | -35 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 10,024 places |
| 2020 | #69,002 | 307 | 0.10 | +26 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 791 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 Model 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 | #69,793 | #69,002 | 1.1% |
| Count | 281 | 307 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Model bearers went from 281 to 307 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 791 positions in the national ranking, going from #69,793 to #69,002.
FAQ
Model surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Model?
Name Census estimates that about 352 living Americans carry the surname Model. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 973,734 residents.
How common is Model?
Model ranks #69,002 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 307 people with the surname Model. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (352), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Model.
Has Model become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Model went from 281 recorded bearers to 307. That is an increase of 26 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #69,793 to #69,002.
What does the Census say about the background of Model?
Among Census respondents with the surname Model, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Model in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (252 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Model appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Hispanic (7.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Model (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 Model mean?
English surname referring to a role model or idealized type. 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 Model (0.10 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 Model?
Find out how many people have the last name Model on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.