Revelle last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Revelle

A surname derived from the French word "reveller" meaning to awaken or arouse.

Revelle, 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 Revelle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Revelle in America

Revelle is the 21260th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Revelle surname appeared 1,233 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 Revelle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Revelle 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 21260 20111 5.55%
Count 1,233 1,233 0.00%
Proportion per 100k 0.42 0.46 -9.09%

The history of the last name Revelle

The surname Revelle has its origins in France, where it can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "reveler," which means "to reveal" or "to disclose." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone whose occupation involved revealing or disclosing information.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. It mentions a person named Reuel, which is likely a variation of the same name.

During the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Revel, Reville, and Revelle, in several regions of France, including Normandy and Picardy. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and differences in pronunciation and spelling.

One notable figure bearing this surname was Guillaume Revelle, a French painter who lived in the early 16th century. He was known for his religious works and portraits commissioned by the nobility of the time.

In England, the name can be traced back to the Norman Conquest in 1066, when many French and Norman settlers brought their surnames to the country. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Robert Revelle, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195.

Another significant individual with this surname was John Revelle, an English merchant and explorer who lived in the late 16th century. He was part of an expedition to the West Indies and is credited with establishing trade relations with the indigenous populations.

The name Revelle was also present in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as Revel or Revell. One notable bearer was Sir Alexander Revell, a Scottish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

In the United States, the surname Revelle can be traced back to French and English immigrants who arrived in the colonial era. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Pierre Revelle, a French Huguenot who settled in New York in the late 17th century.

Another notable American with this surname was Roger Revelle, a renowned oceanographer and researcher who played a significant role in advancing the understanding of climate change and its impact on the environment. He was born in 1909 and passed away in 1991.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Revelle

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

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 Revelle was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 84.83% 1,046
Non-Hispanic Black Only 8.03% 99
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.41% 5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 1.30% 16
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.33% 41
Hispanic Origin 2.11% 26

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 Revelle has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 84.83% 85.56% -0.86%
Black 8.03% 8.60% -6.86%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.41% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 1.30% 1.95% -40.00%
Two or More Races 3.33% 2.11% 44.85%
Hispanic 2.11% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Revelle last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 8, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/revelle-surname-popularity/.

"Revelle last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/revelle-surname-popularity/. Accessed 8 November, 2024

Revelle last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/revelle-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.