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

Rebel, 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 Rebel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rebel in America

Rebel is the 41886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rebel surname appeared 519 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 Rebel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rebel 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 Rebel

The surname REBEL is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "rebelle," meaning "rebellious" or "disobedient." This name is thought to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century during the Norman conquest of England.

The name REBEL likely referred to someone who was known for their rebellious or defiant nature, perhaps someone who actively opposed the authority of the ruling class or the Church. It's also possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had a reputation for being difficult or unruly.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name REBEL can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1230, where a person named William Rebel is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, making this an early documented use of the surname.

In the 14th century, there are records of a John Rebel from Oxfordshire, who was a landowner and farmer. The name also appears in various legal documents and court records from this period, indicating that it was an established surname by this time.

Notable individuals with the surname REBEL throughout history include:

1. Sir Robert Rebel (c. 1540-1612), an English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I.
2. Giles Rebel (1588-1654), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
3. Thomas Rebel (1609-1675), an English soldier who fought for the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War.
4. John Rebel (1673-1727), an English composer and organist who served as the organist at Westminster Abbey.
5. Mary Rebel (1725-1801), a British writer and poet who published several works of poetry and fiction.

The surname REBEL has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Rebel's Green in Surrey and Rebel's Croft in Warwickshire, suggesting that the name may have originated from particular locations where families with this surname resided.

While the name REBEL may have originally carried connotations of rebellion or defiance, over time it became an established surname in its own right, with families bearing this name making significant contributions to various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rebel

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

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

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

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