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

Sandell, 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 Sandell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sandell in America

Sandell is the 14979th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sandell surname appeared 1,973 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sandell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sandell 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 Sandell

The surname Sandell originated in Scandinavia, specifically in Sweden and Norway, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse word "sandr," meaning "sand," and likely referred to someone who lived near a sandy area or worked with sand in some capacity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Swedish census records from the late 15th century, where it appeared as "Sandel." This spelling variation was common in those times, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

In the 16th century, the name Sandell appeared in the Icelandic sagas, which were written accounts of the lives and exploits of notable Icelanders. These sagas often mentioned individuals with the surname, indicating its prevalence in the region.

During the 17th century, a prominent figure with the name Sandell was Nils Sandell, a Swedish military commander who served under King Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Years' War. He was born in 1598 and played a crucial role in several battles against the Imperial forces.

Another notable individual with the surname was Johan Sandell, a Swedish botanist who lived from 1722 to 1795. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and is remembered for his comprehensive work on the flora of Sweden.

In the 19th century, the name Sandell gained recognition with the birth of Pehr Sandell, a Swedish-American author and journalist. Born in 1831, he emigrated to the United States and became a prominent figure in the Swedish-American community, writing extensively about the experiences of Swedish immigrants.

Across the Atlantic, the name Sandell also had a presence in England, as evidenced by the records of the Domesday Book from 1086. This historic document mentioned individuals with the surname "Sandel," which was likely an early variation of the name.

Throughout history, the surname Sandell has been associated with various occupations, from military leaders and botanists to authors and journalists. Its origins can be traced back to the sandy regions of Scandinavia, where it likely originated as a descriptive name for those who lived or worked in such areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sandell

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

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

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

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