2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Quel
A French surname meaning "which" or "what".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Quel. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quel 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Quel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 43.2%. The next largest groups are White (39.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quel
The surname QUEL has its origins in medieval France, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "quel," meaning "which" or "what." This surname likely originated as a descriptive nickname, possibly referring to a person who frequently asked questions or had a habit of questioning things.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the QUEL surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Robert Quel in the county of Dorset.
In the 13th century, there are records of a nobleman named Sir William Quel, who was a knight in the service of King Edward I. He fought in the Welsh Wars and is mentioned in several chronicles from that period.
During the 14th century, the QUEL surname became associated with the village of Quelditch in Gloucestershire, England. This place name is likely derived from the Old English words "cwel" and "dic," meaning "deep ditch" or "trench." Some early bearers of the surname may have originated from this area.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure named John Quel was a renowned scholar and theologian at the University of Paris. He authored several influential works on philosophy and theology, and his writings were widely studied across Europe.
Another notable individual with the QUEL surname was Pierre Quel, a French explorer and navigator who lived in the 16th century. He was part of several expeditions to the New World and is credited with mapping parts of the coast of present-day Canada and New England.
In the 17th century, the QUEL surname gained prominence in the Netherlands, with several individuals bearing this name holding important positions in the Dutch East India Company. One such figure was Adriaan Quel, who served as the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1671 to 1678.
Over the centuries, variations of the QUEL surname have emerged, including Quell, Quelle, and Quielle. These variations can be found in various regions of Europe, including France, England, Germany, and the Netherlands.
While the QUEL surname may not be as common as some other surnames, it has a rich history and has been associated with notable individuals throughout the centuries, from noblemen and scholars to explorers and colonial administrators.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quel
Among Census respondents with the surname Quel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 43.2%. The next largest groups are White (39.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Quel 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 Quel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino43.2% · 48
- White39.6% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.6% · 14
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quel
Quel 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,624 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,867 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 6,624 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,867 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 Quel 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 | #151,532 | #148,665 | 1.9% |
| Count | 108 | 111 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quel bearers went from 108 to 111 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,867 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #148,665.
FAQ
Quel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quel?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Quel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Quel?
Quel ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Quel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Quel.
Has Quel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quel went from 108 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Quel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 43.2%. The next largest groups are White (39.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.2% (48 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (43.2%), White (39.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%). 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 Quel (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 Quel mean?
A French surname meaning "which" or "what". 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 Quel (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 are called Quel?
See how many people have the surname Quel on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.