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

Rickel, 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 Rickel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rickel in America

Rickel is the 20421st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rickel surname appeared 1,301 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 Rickel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rickel 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 Rickel

The surname Rickel is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "rickel," which means "little man" or "dwarf." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for a short or small person, which was a common practice in the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of present-day Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Heinrich Rickel, a landowner from the town of Bamberg, mentioned in records dating back to 1275.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Rickele, Rickelein, and Rickelmann, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Rickelshausen, a village in the state of Hesse, which likely derived its name from an early settler with the surname Rickel.

One notable bearer of the name was Johann Rickel, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1492 to 1554. He was a colleague of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, the name made its way to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Austria, as German settlers and merchants sought new opportunities. Hans Rickel, a merchant from Nuremberg, is recorded as having established a trading outpost in Amsterdam in 1628.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many Rickel families migrated to North America, fleeing religious persecution or seeking better economic opportunities. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was Jacob Rickel, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1753 from the Palatinate region of Germany.

Another notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Rickel, a German-American composer and musician who lived from 1859 to 1923. He was a renowned conductor and music educator, serving as the director of the Cincinnati College of Music for many years.

Throughout its history, the surname Rickel has been associated with various professions, including farmers, artisans, merchants, and academics. While not a particularly common name, it has persisted in various regions of the world, reflecting the enduring legacy of its German roots and the diverse paths taken by its bearers over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rickel

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

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

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

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