2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Petchel
A surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of Pöchl in Bavaria.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Petchel. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Petchel 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Petchel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Petchel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Petchel
The surname Petchel is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "petschi," which referred to a small bag or pouch. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who made or carried such bags, possibly a peddler or merchant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Petchel can be found in the baptismal records of St. Peter's Church in Bamberg, Germany, where a child named Hans Petchel was baptized in 1621. The name also appears in various legal documents and property records from the region during that time period, indicating that it was an established surname among certain families.
In the late 17th century, the name Petchel began to appear in records from other parts of Germany, such as the Palatinate region and the state of Saxony. This suggests that individuals bearing the surname may have migrated or relocated during that period, possibly due to economic or religious reasons.
One notable individual with the surname Petchel was Johann Petchel, a Lutheran theologian and author who lived from 1635 to 1701. He was born in Nuremberg and served as a pastor in several towns throughout his career, publishing several theological works and sermons.
Another historical figure with the name Petchel was Anna Petchel, a talented embroiderer and needleworker who lived in the city of Augsburg in the mid-18th century. Her intricate and highly detailed embroidered pieces were prized by wealthy patrons and are now considered valuable examples of the artisanship of the time.
In the 19th century, the Petchel surname began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, potentially indicating that individuals bearing the name had migrated or emigrated from Germany. One example is Johann Petchel, a watchmaker born in Prague in 1832, who later relocated to Vienna and established a successful business.
Another notable individual with the surname Petchel was Karl Petchel, a German-American artist and illustrator who lived from 1876 to 1951. Born in Berlin, he emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century and became known for his illustrations in magazines and children's books.
While the Petchel surname may have its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals who have migrated or descended from those original German families. However, the name's origins and connection to the Middle High German word for a small bag or pouch remain a significant part of its historical and linguistic legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Petchel
Among Census respondents with the surname Petchel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Petchel 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 Petchel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 108
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Petchel
Petchel 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
+19 bearers (+18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,100 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-7 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,993 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.8%) | Up 10,100 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 7,993 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 Petchel 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 | #147,221 | -5.7% |
| Count | 120 | 113 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Petchel bearers went from 120 to 113 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 7,993 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #147,221.
FAQ
Petchel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Petchel?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Petchel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Petchel?
Petchel ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Petchel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Petchel.
Has Petchel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Petchel went from 120 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Petchel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Petchel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Petchel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Petchel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Black (1.8%), Two or More Races (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 Petchel (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 Petchel mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of Pöchl in Bavaria. 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 Petchel (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 have the last name Petchel?
If you just want to know how common the surname Petchel is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.