2000
#7,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,226
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Seibel
Derived from a German place name or from a Middle High German word meaning "sieve" or "strainer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,780 Americans carry the last name Seibel. That puts it at #7,657 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,706 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seibel 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
4.8K
1 in 71,706
Census rank
#7,657
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,168 bearers of the surname Seibel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7657th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seibel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seibel
The surname Seibel is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "Sibel," which was a diminutive form of the personal name Sibert or Sigbert. These names were composed of the Germanic elements "sige," meaning victory, and "berht," meaning bright or famous.
The earliest recorded instances of the Seibel surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Saxony. The name was initially spelled in various ways, including Seibel, Seibl, Seybl, and Seybell, reflecting regional variations and scribal practices of the time.
In the 14th century, there are records of individuals bearing the Seibel surname in the city of Nuremberg, which was a prominent center of trade and craftsmanship during the Middle Ages. One notable figure from this period was Hans Seibel, a renowned goldsmith who lived in Nuremberg in the late 1300s.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Seibel surname appeared in various historical records, including tax rolls, land deeds, and church registers. One notable individual from this era was Johann Seibel, a Lutheran theologian and reformer who lived from 1486 to 1564 and played a role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
In the 17th century, the Seibel surname gained prominence in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire (present-day Poland and Czech Republic). A noteworthy figure from this time was Gottfried Seibel, a Silesian poet and writer who lived from 1640 to 1706 and is known for his religious and devotional works.
The 18th century saw the Seibel surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Austria and Switzerland. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Johann Georg Seibel, a German-Swiss artist and engraver who lived from 1736 to 1807 and is renowned for his intricate engravings and etchings.
As the centuries progressed, the Seibel surname continued to be found throughout various German-speaking regions and beyond, with individuals making significant contributions in various fields, including academia, literature, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seibel
Among Census respondents with the surname Seibel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Seibel 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 Seibel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 3,802
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 159
- Two or more races3.2% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seibel
Seibel 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
#7,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,331
+105 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 396 places
2020
#7,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,168
-163 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,272 | 4,226 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,668 | 4,331 | 1.47 | +105 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 396 places |
| 2020 | #7,657 | 4,168 | 1.39 | -163 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 11 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 Seibel 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 | #7,668 | #7,657 | 0.1% |
| Count | 4,331 | 4,168 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.39 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seibel bearers went from 4,331 to 4,168 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,668 to #7,657.
FAQ
Seibel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seibel?
Name Census estimates that about 4,780 living Americans carry the surname Seibel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,706 residents.
How common is Seibel?
Seibel ranks #7,657 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,168 people with the surname Seibel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,780), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Seibel.
Has Seibel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seibel went from 4,331 recorded bearers to 4,168. That is a decrease of 163 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,668 to #7,657.
What does the Census say about the background of Seibel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seibel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Seibel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (3,802 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seibel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Seibel (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 Seibel mean?
Derived from a German place name or from a Middle High German word meaning "sieve" or "strainer." 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 Seibel (1.39 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 Seibel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.