2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Scobell
A person or family with ancestry from or connected to a location called Scobell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 161 Americans carry the last name Scobell. That puts it at #127,742 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,128,909 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scobell 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 Scobell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
161
1 in 2,128,909
Census rank
#127,742
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
140
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 140 bearers of the surname Scobell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 127742nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scobell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scobell
The surname Scobell is of English origin, emerging in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "scop" and "bell," which together translate to "bell-ringer" or "bell-maker." This connection suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with the profession of bell-making or bell-ringing in churches or monasteries.
The earliest known records of the Scobell surname date back to the 13th century. One notable mention is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1275, where a certain William Scobell is listed. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence and usage during that time period.
In the 16th century, the surname appears in various historic records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1558, which mentions a Henry Scobell. This record sheds light on the geographical distribution of the name, suggesting its presence in the county of Essex during that era.
One of the most prominent figures bearing the Scobell surname was Henry Scobell (1610-1660), who served as the Clerk of the Parliament during the English Civil War and the Interregnum period. He was responsible for recording the proceedings of the Rump Parliament and played a significant role in the events leading up to the execution of King Charles I.
Another notable individual was John Scobell (1615-1684), an English legal writer and compiler of parliamentary ordinances. His work, titled "A Collection of Acts and Ordinances of General Use," published in 1658, served as an important reference for legal practitioners during the Commonwealth period.
In the 17th century, the Scobell surname appears in various parish records and land registers, indicating its presence across different regions of England. For instance, the parish records of Ipswich, Suffolk, mention a baptism of a child named Scobell in 1639.
The Scobell surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Scobell Green in Hertfordshire and Scobell's Farm in Buckinghamshire. These place names may have derived from individuals bearing the Scobell surname or vice versa, further emphasizing the surname's long-standing presence in the region.
Other notable figures with the Scobell surname include Samuel Scobell (1645-1701), an English Puritan minister, and William Scobell (1680-1744), a composer and organist who served at the Chapels Royal during the reign of King George I.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scobell
Among Census respondents with the surname Scobell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Scobell 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 Scobell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 10
- Two or more races2.9% · 4
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scobell
Scobell 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+7 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,748 places
2020
#127,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+3 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,460 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +7 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 2,748 places |
| 2020 | #127,742 | 140 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 2,460 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 Scobell 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 | #125,282 | #127,742 | -2.0% |
| Count | 137 | 140 | 2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scobell bearers went from 137 to 140 (+2.2% change). The surname moved down 2,460 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #127,742.
FAQ
Scobell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scobell?
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the surname Scobell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,128,909 residents.
How common is Scobell?
Scobell ranks #127,742 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 140 people with the surname Scobell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (161), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Scobell.
Has Scobell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scobell went from 137 recorded bearers to 140. That is an increase of 3 (+2.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #127,742.
What does the Census say about the background of Scobell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scobell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Scobell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (124 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scobell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (7.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Scobell (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 Scobell mean?
A person or family with ancestry from or connected to a location called Scobell. 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 Scobell (0.05 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 people have the surname Scobell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.