2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Seekell
Of English origin, a locational surname referring to someone from a seat or dell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Seekell. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seekell 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Seekell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seekell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seekell
The surname "SEEKELL" is of English origin, emerging in the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sēċ" meaning "dry place" and "hyll" meaning "hill." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who resided near a dry hill or elevated land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Biddenden, Kent, England. In 1592, the marriage of John Seekell and Alice Wakefield was documented. This provides evidence of the name's existence during the Elizabethan era.
The Seekell surname is also linked to certain place names in England, particularly in the counties of Kent and Sussex. For example, the hamlet of Seekill, located in the parish of Headcorn, Kent, may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name.
In the 17th century, the Seekell family appeared to have spread across southern England. Notable individuals bearing this surname include William Seekell (1612-1688), a landowner and farmer in the village of Staplehurst, Kent. His son, John Seekell (1643-1712), was a respected merchant and trade broker in London.
Another prominent figure was Robert Seekell (1725-1804), a renowned architect from Brighton, Sussex. He designed several significant buildings in the city, including the Royal Pavilion and the Brighton Dome. His architectural legacy contributed to the town's development as a fashionable seaside resort.
In the 19th century, the Seekell family continued to make their mark. Elizabeth Seekell (1811-1892), a philanthropist from Kent, was known for her charitable works and support of local schools and churches.
Thomas Seekell (1845-1921), born in Sussex, was a successful businessman and industrialist. He founded the Seekell Manufacturing Company, which produced agricultural machinery and equipment, contributing to the region's agricultural development.
While the Seekell surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, records from the 16th to 19th centuries provide a rich tapestry of the name's origins, etymological connections, and notable individuals who carried this surname throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seekell
Among Census respondents with the surname Seekell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Seekell 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 Seekell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 102
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seekell
Seekell 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-10 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,269 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 16,269 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 9,894 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 Seekell 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 | #137,327 | #147,221 | -7.2% |
| Count | 122 | 113 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seekell bearers went from 122 to 113 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 9,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,221.
FAQ
Seekell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seekell?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Seekell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Seekell?
Seekell ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Seekell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Seekell.
Has Seekell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seekell went from 122 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Seekell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seekell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Seekell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seekell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Seekell (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 Seekell mean?
Of English origin, a locational surname referring to someone from a seat or dell. 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 Seekell (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 common is the surname Seekell?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Seekell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.