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

Seil, 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 Seil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Seil in America

Seil is the 94730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Seil surname appeared 193 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Seil.

We can also compare 2010 data for Seil 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 Seil

The surname SEIL is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria, around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "seil," which means "rope" or "cord." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with ropes or cords, such as a ropemaker or sailor.

The earliest recorded instances of the name SEIL can be found in various historical documents from the medieval period. For instance, a record from 1324 mentions a "Heinricus Seil" in the town of Nuremberg. Another document from 1412 references a "Johannes Seil" in the city of Munich.

During the 15th century, the name SEIL appeared in several places across Germany, including the town of Augsburg, where a "Hans Seil" was mentioned in a registry from 1487. This suggests that the name had spread to various regions by that time.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname SEIL was Friedrich Seil (1490-1562), a German theologian and Protestant reformer from Nuremberg. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, the name SEIL was found in various German-speaking regions, including the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a "Georg Seil" was recorded in a church register in 1673.

Another prominent figure with the surname SEIL was Johann Christoph Seil (1708-1786), a German composer and organist from Halle. He was known for his instrumental works and served as the organist at the Marktkirche in Halle for over 50 years.

In the 19th century, the name SEIL continued to be present in various parts of Germany, as well as in other German-speaking regions. One notable individual from this period was Carl Seil (1823-1892), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, including the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

Over time, the surname SEIL spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, as German immigrants and their descendants carried the name with them. Today, it can be found in various countries around the world, though its origins can be traced back to the German regions where it first emerged centuries ago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Seil

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!