2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Morckel
A surname likely derived from a nickname meaning "little mushroom" in German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Morckel. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morckel 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Morckel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morckel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morckel
The surname Morckel is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the late 15th century. It is thought to have derived from the German word "morchel," which means "morel," referring to the edible mushroom variety. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in foraging, cultivating, or trading morel mushrooms.
One of the earliest known records of the Morckel surname can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the late 1400s. These records mention a certain Johannes Morckel, who was a prominent figure in the local mushroom trade.
In the 16th century, the Morckel name appeared in various historical documents across central and southern Germany, including tax records and property deeds. One notable individual from this era was Hans Morckel (1520-1588), a renowned botanist and herbalist from Würzburg, who contributed significantly to the study and classification of mushroom species.
The Morckel surname later spread to other parts of Europe, particularly to regions with German-speaking populations. In the 17th century, a branch of the Morckel family migrated to the Netherlands, where they became involved in the thriving Dutch spice trade. One prominent figure from this period was Willem Morckel (1638-1701), a successful merchant and trader based in Amsterdam.
As the Morckel name continued to disperse, it also found its way to other parts of the world through migration and colonization. In the 18th century, a Morckel family settled in the British colony of Pennsylvania, where they became farmers and landowners. Johann Morckel (1725-1802), a Pennsylvanian of German descent, was a notable figure in the region's agricultural community.
Throughout the 19th century, various individuals bearing the Morckel surname made their mark in various fields. Among them were Friedrich Morckel (1810-1882), a German philosopher and educator, and Karl Morckel (1845-1915), an Austrian painter renowned for his landscapes and still-life works.
While the Morckel surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has left an indelible mark on history, particularly in the areas of botany, trade, and agriculture. Its origins and associations with the morel mushroom make it a unique and distinctive name with a rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morckel
Among Census respondents with the surname Morckel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Morckel 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 Morckel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morckel
Morckel 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,840 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,840 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,182 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 Morckel 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 | #152,628 | #149,446 | 2.1% |
| Count | 107 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morckel bearers went from 107 to 110 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #149,446.
FAQ
Morckel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morckel?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Morckel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Morckel?
Morckel ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Morckel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Morckel.
Has Morckel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morckel went from 107 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Morckel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morckel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Morckel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morckel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Morckel (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 Morckel mean?
A surname likely derived from a nickname meaning "little mushroom" in German. 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 Morckel (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 common is the surname Morckel?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Morckel? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.