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

Quehl, 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 Quehl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quehl in America

Quehl is the 95115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quehl surname appeared 192 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 Quehl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quehl 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.

The history of the last name Quehl

The surname Quehl has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "quele," meaning "spring" or "source." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a natural spring or water source.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quehl can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Germany, in the year 1568. This record mentions a certain Hans Quehl, who was a local tradesman. Another early reference is found in the church records of the city of Cologne, where a family with the surname Quehl is documented in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name Quehl appears in various medieval manuscripts and chronicles from the region of Bavaria. One notable mention is in the "Annalen von Freising" (Annals of Freising), a historical record compiled by monks in the Benedictine abbey of Freising. This text documents a Matthias Quehl, who was a local landowner and farmer in the year 1637.

As the centuries progressed, the name Quehl spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. In the early 19th century, a Johann Quehl (1786-1859) was a prominent merchant and businessman in the city of Nuremberg. Another notable figure was Wilhelm Quehl (1837-1924), a renowned architect and urban planner who designed several iconic buildings in Berlin.

Other notable individuals with the surname Quehl include:

1. Heinrich Quehl (1859-1923), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscape works.
2. Gertrude Quehl (1892-1976), a German-American author and poet who wrote several children's books in the mid-20th century.
3. Karl Quehl (1903-1986), a German-born American engineer and inventor who held numerous patents in the field of aerospace technology.
4. Frieda Quehl (1919-2008), a German-born American artist and sculptor, known for her abstract metal sculptures.
5. Hans Quehl (1932-2018), a German-born British author and historian who wrote extensively about the history of European migration to North America.

The variations in spelling of the surname over time include Quehle, Quehl, and Quehhle, among others. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects, scribal errors, or personal preferences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Old German word "quele" and its association with natural water sources.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quehl

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

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 Quehl was:

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

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

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

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