Paulsell last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Paulsell

A surname derived from a variant of the English name Paul.

Paulsell, 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 Paulsell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paulsell in America

Paulsell is the 115034th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paulsell surname appeared 152 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Paulsell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paulsell 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 115034 109915 4.55%
Count 152 149 1.99%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.06 -18.18%

The history of the last name Paulsell

The surname Paulsell has its origins in the British Isles, likely emerging in the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pawel" meaning "small" and "sele" meaning "dwelling" or "hall." Thus, the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a small hall or cottage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Norfolk, England, Pipe Rolls of 1230, where a "Willelmus Paulessone" is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests the name's evolution from its Old English roots.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various records across England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. For example, a "Robertus Paulsell" is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name seemed to have stabilized closer to its modern form. A "John Paulsell" is recorded in the Wills and Inventories of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1568.

While not a particularly widespread surname, the Paulsells have left their mark throughout history. One notable figure was William Paulsell (c. 1600-1672), an English clergyman who served as the rector of Wickham Market in Suffolk.

Another Paulsell of note was Thomas Paulsell (1727-1806), a British naval officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of Vice Admiral.

In the literary world, there was Robert Paulsell (1805-1882), an English poet and author who published several works, including "The Village Minstrel" and "Poems, Lyrical and Miscellaneous."

Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was John Paulsell, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and later settled in Maryland.

Lastly, a more recent figure was Sir James Paulsell (1888-1967), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to educational institutions and charities in his lifetime.

These are just a few examples of the Paulsell name's presence throughout history, spanning various fields and geographic locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paulsell

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

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 Paulsell was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 90.13% 137
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 5.26% 8
Hispanic Origin 3.29% 5

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 Paulsell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 90.13% 90.60% -0.52%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 5.26% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 3.29% 4.70% -35.29%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Paulsell last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/paulsell-surname-popularity/.

"Paulsell last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/paulsell-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 October, 2025

Paulsell last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/paulsell-surname-popularity/.

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