2000
#10,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,783
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Postell
A French occupational surname for a maker or seller of drinking cups or goblets.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,260 Americans carry the last name Postell. That puts it at #10,727 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,139 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Postell 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
3.3K
1 in 105,139
Census rank
#10,727
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,843 bearers of the surname Postell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10727th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Postell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.3%. The next largest groups are White (42.9%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Postell
The surname Postell is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It likely emerged sometime during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Posten," which referred to a guard post or sentry position.
In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled as "Posten" or "Postner," reflecting its German roots. Over time, as the name spread to other regions and countries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Postell, Postel, and Postelle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 16th-century Bavarian census record, where a certain Hans Postner is listed as a resident of the town of Augsburg. This record dates back to around 1550 and provides evidence of the name's existence during that period.
Another notable early reference to the name comes from the records of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), where a soldier named Johann Postell is mentioned as serving in the Imperial army under the command of Count Tilly. His service during this pivotal conflict suggests that the Postell family had already established a presence in Germany by the early 17th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Postell was Hans Postell, born in the town of Nuremberg in 1602. He was a skilled craftsman and is credited with introducing a new technique for the production of stained glass windows, which became widely adopted throughout Europe.
In the 18th century, a famous explorer and naturalist named Johann Friedrich Postell (1718-1801) gained recognition for his extensive travels throughout the Americas and his contributions to the study of botany and zoology. His detailed accounts and collections of plant and animal specimens provided valuable insights into the natural world of the New World.
During the Napoleonic Wars, a German military officer named Wilhelm Postell (1782-1862) distinguished himself in several campaigns and rose through the ranks to become a highly decorated general in the Prussian army. His bravery and leadership during the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 earned him widespread acclaim.
In the realm of literature, a German author named Theodor Postell (1838-1905) gained recognition for his novels and short stories, which often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class. His most renowned work, "The Weavers' Revolt," depicted the harsh conditions faced by textile workers in the industrialized cities of the 19th century.
While the surname Postell has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and various European countries, thanks to migration and the dispersal of families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Postell
Among Census respondents with the surname Postell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.3%. The next largest groups are White (42.9%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Postell 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 Postell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American48.3% · 1,372
- White42.9% · 1,219
- Two or more races5.1% · 144
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Postell
Postell 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
#10,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,080
+297 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 133 places
2020
#10,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,843
-237 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 282 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,578 | 2,783 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,445 | 3,080 | 1.04 | +297 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 133 places |
| 2020 | #10,727 | 2,843 | 0.95 | -237 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 282 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 Postell 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 | #10,445 | #10,727 | -2.7% |
| Count | 3,080 | 2,843 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.95 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Postell bearers went from 3,080 to 2,843 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 282 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,445 to #10,727.
FAQ
Postell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Postell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,260 living Americans carry the surname Postell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,139 residents.
How common is Postell?
Postell ranks #10,727 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,843 people with the surname Postell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,260), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Postell.
Has Postell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Postell went from 3,080 recorded bearers to 2,843. That is a decrease of 237 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,445 to #10,727.
What does the Census say about the background of Postell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Postell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.3%. The next largest groups are White (42.9%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Postell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.3% (1,372 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Postell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (48.3%), White (42.9%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Postell (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 Postell mean?
A French occupational surname for a maker or seller of drinking cups or goblets. 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 Postell (0.95 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 Postell?
You can see how many people have the surname Postell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.