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

Rachal, 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 Rachal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rachal in America

Rachal is the 9695th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rachal surname appeared 3,346 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rachal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rachal 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 Rachal

The surname Rachal has its origins in the Middle English language, derived from the Old French word "rachael" or "rachel," which means "ewe" or "female sheep." This surname likely arose in the late 12th or early 13th century in northern France or England, where it may have been an occupational name for a shepherd or someone who worked with sheep.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rachal can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1230, where a certain William Rachal is mentioned. These rolls were financial records kept by the English government during the reign of King Henry III.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as Rachell, Rachelle, and Rachael, in various English and French records. One notable bearer of the name was John Rachal, a merchant from London who is mentioned in the city's records from 1381.

During the 16th century, the surname Rachal began to spread to other parts of Europe, including Scotland and Ireland. In Scotland, the name was sometimes anglicized to the spelling "Rachel," as seen in the case of Robert Rachel, a landowner in Aberdeenshire who is mentioned in records from 1567.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rachal surname in Ireland dates back to 1624, when a certain Patrick Rachal is mentioned in the Fiants of the County of Longford. The Fiants were legal records that documented the granting of land and other privileges by the English Crown in Ireland.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, several notable individuals bore the surname Rachal. These include William Rachal (1635-1712), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works, and Mary Rachal (1678-1744), a prominent Scottish painter known for her portraits and landscapes.

Throughout history, the surname Rachal has been associated with various occupations and professions, including agriculture, commerce, religion, and the arts. While the name has retained its distinct spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, it has also been subject to various regional variations and adaptations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rachal

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

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

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

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