2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Quallen
An English surname derived from the French word "caillouer" meaning to pave with stones or cobblestones.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Quallen. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quallen 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Quallen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quallen
The surname Quallen has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "qualle," which referred to a type of jellyfish or other aquatic creature. The name may have been initially used as a nickname for someone with a jellyfish-like appearance or movements.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quallen can be found in the town records of Cologne, Germany, from the late 1500s, where it was spelled as "Qualen." Over time, the spelling evolved to the modern form of Quallen.
In the 17th century, the Quallen family spread across various regions of Germany, with some members settling in areas like Saxony and Bavaria. During this period, the name Quallen was also associated with certain occupations related to fishing or water-based trades.
Historical records from the 18th century mention a notable figure named Johann Quallen (1712-1786), who was a respected merchant and landowner in the town of Heidelberg. Another individual of note was Heinrich Quallen (1768-1832), a renowned clockmaker from Nuremberg, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by wealthy patrons.
In the 19th century, the name Quallen gained further recognition with the birth of Theodor Quallen (1818-1892), a prominent German artist known for his landscape paintings depicting the Black Forest region. His works are still exhibited in various art galleries across Europe.
As the 20th century approached, the Quallen family continued to leave its mark in various fields. One notable figure was Anna Quallen (1901-1978), a celebrated opera singer who performed in some of the most prestigious opera houses in Germany and Austria.
Throughout its history, the surname Quallen has been associated with a diverse range of professions and achievements, from merchants and artisans to artists and musicians. While the name may have originated from a humble nickname, it has since gained a rich legacy spanning centuries of German cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quallen
Among Census respondents with the surname Quallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Quallen 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 Quallen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 94
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quallen
Quallen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-7 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,236 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 2,236 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 Quallen 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 | #153,769 | #156,005 | -1.5% |
| Count | 106 | 99 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quallen bearers went from 106 to 99 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 2,236 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #156,005.
FAQ
Quallen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quallen?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Quallen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Quallen?
Quallen ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Quallen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Quallen.
Has Quallen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quallen went from 106 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Quallen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Quallen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quallen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Quallen (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 Quallen mean?
An English surname derived from the French word "caillouer" meaning to pave with stones or cobblestones. 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 Quallen (0.03 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 share the surname Quallen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.