2000
#9,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,002
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Revell
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "revel," meaning "rebel" or "stubborn."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,164 Americans carry the last name Revell. That puts it at #11,008 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,329 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Revell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Revell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 108,329
Census rank
#11,008
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,759 bearers of the surname Revell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11008th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Revell, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (18.4%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Revell
The surname Revell is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "revel," which means "to be disorderly or unruly." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a boisterous or mischievous personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it is listed as "Revel." This spelling variation indicates the name's evolution over time. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a Richard Revel, providing further evidence of the surname's antiquity.
The Revell surname has connections to several place names in England, including Revill in Derbyshire and Revel in Huntingdonshire. These locations may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in different regions.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named John Revell (1524-1584) was an English Catholic martyr. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered for his faith during the Elizabethan era, becoming a significant figure in the history of English Catholicism.
Another prominent person with the surname Revell was Sir Thomas Revell (1619-1695), an English politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Derby from 1660 to 1679 and played a role in the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II.
During the 17th century, a member of the Revell family, John Revell (1637-1721), was a renowned architect and surveyor. He worked on several notable projects, including the construction of the Foundling Hospital in London.
In the realm of literature, Wilbur Revell (1715-1798) was an English poet and writer. He published several works, including "The Poetical Works of Wilbur Revell" in 1781, which gained him recognition in literary circles.
Lastly, in the field of science, Sir George Revell (1854-1932) was a British chemist and inventor. He made significant contributions to the development of industrial processes and held numerous patents for his innovations.
While the surname Revell may have originated from a nickname describing a person's lively or unruly nature, it has since been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including martyrs, politicians, architects, writers, and scientists, leaving a lasting impact on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Revell
Among Census respondents with the surname Revell, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (18.4%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Revell 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 Revell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.1% · 1,963
- Black or African American18.4% · 508
- Two or more races5.5% · 153
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Revell
Revell 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
#10,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,200
+198 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 156 places
2020
#11,008
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,759
-441 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 936 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,916 | 3,002 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,072 | 3,200 | 1.08 | +198 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 156 places |
| 2020 | #11,008 | 2,759 | 0.92 | -441 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 936 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 Revell 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 | #10,072 | #11,008 | -9.3% |
| Count | 3,200 | 2,759 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.92 | -14.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Revell bearers went from 3,200 to 2,759 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 936 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,072 to #11,008.
FAQ
Revell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Revell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,164 living Americans carry the surname Revell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,329 residents.
How common is Revell?
Revell ranks #11,008 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,759 people with the surname Revell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,164), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Revell.
Has Revell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Revell went from 3,200 recorded bearers to 2,759. That is a decrease of 441 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,072 to #11,008.
What does the Census say about the background of Revell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Revell, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (18.4%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Revell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.1% (1,963 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Revell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.1%), Black (18.4%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Revell (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 Revell mean?
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "revel," meaning "rebel" or "stubborn." 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 Revell (0.92 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 Americans have the surname Revell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.