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

Quell, 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 Quell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quell in America

Quell is the 91221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quell surname appeared 202 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 Quell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quell 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 Quell

The surname Quell is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "quell," which means "spring" or "source." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to refer to someone who lived near a natural spring or water source.

In the 13th century, the name Quell began appearing in various records and manuscripts across central Europe. One of the earliest known instances is found in a document from the Duchy of Bavaria, dated around 1275, which mentions a person named Hans Quell.

The name Quell is also closely linked to several place names in Germany, such as Quellendorf (meaning "village of springs") and Quellborn (literally "spring born"). These place names likely originated from the presence of natural springs in these areas, and it is possible that the surname Quell was initially adopted by families residing in or near these locations.

One notable bearer of the surname Quell was Johann Quell (1481-1548), a German theologian and Lutheran reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.

Another historical figure with the surname Quell was Friedrich Quell (1868-1953), a German Protestant theologian and New Testament scholar. He made significant contributions to the study of early Christianity and the interpretation of the Gospels.

In the 16th century, the surname Quell can be found in various records from the Holy Roman Empire, including tax rolls and church registers. One example is Johannes Quell, a merchant from Nuremberg, who is mentioned in a trade document from 1532.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Quell surname became more widespread across German-speaking regions, with families bearing this name settling in areas such as Saxony, Prussia, and the Rhineland.

Another notable bearer of the Quell surname was Carl Quell (1839-1903), a German architect and urban planner who was instrumental in the development of several major cities in the late 19th century, including Berlin and Hamburg.

While the surname Quell is predominantly associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, particularly in regions with historical German influence or migration, such as Switzerland, Austria, and parts of Eastern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quell

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

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

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

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