2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sampel
A surname perhaps derived from an occupation related to sampling or sampling goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Sampel. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sampel 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.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Sampel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sampel, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sampel
The surname Sampel has its origins in Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "sampal," which means "example" or "model." This suggests that the name may have originally been given to someone who served as an exemplary individual in their community.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Sampel can be found in a document from the town of Heidelberg, dated 1187. In this document, a man named Heinrich Sampel is mentioned as a prominent merchant and landowner.
Another notable mention of the name Sampel comes from the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical records from the Rhineland region of Germany, dating back to the 13th century. In this text, there are several references to individuals with the surname Sampel, many of whom were involved in various trades and crafts.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Sampel was Johann Sampel (1495-1562), a renowned German theologian and Protestant reformer. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the spread of the Protestant Reformation throughout Germany.
Another notable figure was Katharina Sampel (1532-1598), a German noblewoman and landowner from the region of Saxony. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of various religious and educational initiatives during her lifetime.
In the 16th century, the Sampel family had a strong presence in the city of Nuremberg, where several members were involved in the city's prosperous metal-working and crafts industries. One such individual was Hans Sampel (1520-1589), a skilled goldsmith and jeweler who gained recognition for his intricate and ornate creations.
As the Sampel name spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe over the centuries, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Sampell, Sampele, and Sampeln. These variations often reflected regional dialects and local pronunciation patterns.
While the name Sampel may not be as prominent today as it was in its earlier history, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of German surnames, reflecting the country's diverse cultural heritage and the stories of the families who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sampel
Among Census respondents with the surname Sampel, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sampel 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 Sampel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.8% · 58
- Hispanic or Latino40.2% · 45
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sampel
Sampel 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+18 bearers (+18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,296 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,814 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+18.0%) | Up 9,296 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 6,814 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 Sampel 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 | #141,140 | #147,954 | -4.8% |
| Count | 118 | 112 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sampel bearers went from 118 to 112 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 6,814 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,954.
FAQ
Sampel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sampel?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Sampel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Sampel?
Sampel ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Sampel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sampel.
Has Sampel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sampel went from 118 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Sampel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sampel, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Sampel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.8% (58 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sampel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.8%), Hispanic (40.2%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Sampel (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 Sampel mean?
A surname perhaps derived from an occupation related to sampling or sampling goods. 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 Sampel (0.04 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 Sampel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.