2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Nosel
A German surname derived from the German word "Nase" meaning nose, likely referring to a distinguishing facial feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Nosel. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nosel 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Nosel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nosel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nosel
The surname NOSEL originated in Germany, with the first recorded use of the name appearing in the late 15th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old German word "nase," meaning "nose," suggesting that it may have been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a prominent or unique nasal feature.
The earliest known bearers of the NOSEL surname were found in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia, where the name was commonly associated with families living in rural areas or small villages. Historical records indicate that several NOSEL families were engaged in agricultural or craftsmen trades during this period.
One of the earliest documented references to the NOSEL name can be found in the parish records of the town of Dinkelsbuhl, located in Middle Franconia, Bavaria. Here, a certain Johann NOSEL is listed as a resident in the year 1487.
In the 16th century, the NOSEL surname began to spread across other regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Saxony and Silesia. During this time, the name also appeared in various spellings, including NOESEL, NOESSL, and NOESSL.
Notable individuals bearing the NOSEL surname throughout history include Johann Christoph NOSEL (1673-1744), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. Another prominent figure was Philipp NOSEL (1816-1895), a German politician and Member of the Reichstag from the Kingdom of Prussia.
In the 18th century, the NOSEL name gained prominence in the city of Dresden, where several members of the family were respected merchants and traders. One such individual was Johann Friedrich NOSEL (1738-1802), a successful businessman who served as a councilor in the city's governing body.
Other notable bearers of the NOSEL surname include Karl NOSEL (1874-1949), a German architect best known for his work on the Heidelberg Castle, and Helene NOSEL (1898-1976), a German painter and illustrator renowned for her portraits and landscapes.
While the NOSEL name has its roots firmly planted in Germany, over the centuries, it has spread to various parts of Europe and beyond, with descendants of the original NOSEL families now found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nosel
Among Census respondents with the surname Nosel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Nosel 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 Nosel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nosel
Nosel 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-14 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,584 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 19,584 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,283 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 Nosel 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 | #139,228 | #143,511 | -3.1% |
| Count | 120 | 118 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nosel bearers went from 120 to 118 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,283 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #143,511.
FAQ
Nosel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nosel?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Nosel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Nosel?
Nosel ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Nosel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Nosel.
Has Nosel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nosel went from 120 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Nosel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nosel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%). 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 Nosel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nosel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (8.5%). 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 Nosel (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 Nosel mean?
A German surname derived from the German word "Nase" meaning nose, likely referring to a distinguishing facial feature. 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 Nosel (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 are called Nosel?
If you just want to know how common the surname Nosel is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.