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

Simmel, 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 Simmel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Simmel in America

Simmel is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Simmel surname appeared 117 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 Simmel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Simmel 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 Simmel

The surname SIMMEL is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "semele," which means "fine flour" or "semolina." It is believed to have originated in the 14th century as an occupational name for a miller or someone who worked with flour.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname SIMMEL can be found in various historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries in regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Simmel, a miller from the town of Nuremberg, mentioned in a document dated 1487.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in several manuscripts and records, including the Kirchenbücher (church books) of various German towns and villages. The spellings "Simmel," "Simmel," and "Symmell" were common variations during this period.

The name SIMMEL is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Georg Simmel (1858-1918) was a German sociologist, philosopher, and critic, regarded as one of the founders of modern sociology. His works explored various aspects of social life and human interactions.

Another prominent figure was Walter Simmel (1892-1952), a German-American film director and producer who worked in Hollywood during the golden age of cinema. He directed several successful films, including "Eskimo" (1933) and "The Counsellor-at-Law" (1933).

In the field of literature, Johannes Mario Simmel (1924-2009) was an Austrian writer and playwright. His notable works include the novels "Es muss nicht immer Kaviar sein" (1960) and "Und Jimmy ging zum Regenbogen" (1970).

Ernst Simmel (1882-1947) was a German psychologist and psychoanalyst who made significant contributions to the study of psychoanalytic theory and techniques. He was also a close associate of Sigmund Freud.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Josef Simmel (1810-1883), an Austrian painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and urban scenes depicting Vienna and its surroundings.

While the surname SIMMEL is not among the most common surnames today, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages and its association with the occupation of milling and flour production in German-speaking regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Simmel

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

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

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

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