2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sixel
A surname potentially derived from the German "sechs" meaning six.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Sixel. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sixel 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Sixel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sixel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sixel
The surname Sixel has its origins in the Germanic regions of central Europe, with earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "sixil," which referred to a type of small hunting spear or javelin. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for a maker or user of such weaponry.
One of the earliest known references to the name Sixel can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dated around 1180. Here, a man named Henricus Sixel is mentioned as a landowner and vassal of a local nobleman.
By the 13th century, variations of the name began appearing in other parts of Germany, such as Sixl, Sicksel, and Siexel. This could be attributed to regional dialect differences or scribal errors in transcribing the name.
A notable early bearer of the name was Johann Sixel, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1480 to 1554. He was a vocal supporter of Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation and played a role in the spread of Lutheran teachings throughout Saxony.
In the 16th century, the Sixel surname also surfaced in parts of Switzerland, likely carried there by German immigrants. One such individual was Hans Sixel, a Swiss clockmaker born in 1525 in Basel, who was renowned for his intricate timepieces.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent further variations in spelling, such as Siexl, Sicksl, and Sixl. In the 18th century, a branch of the Sixel family settled in the Alsace region of France, where the name was recorded as Sixelle.
Another notable bearer of the Sixel name was Johann Baptist Sixel, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1722 to 1787. His engravings and etchings, particularly those depicting religious scenes, were highly sought after during his lifetime.
Over the centuries, the Sixel surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, and military personnel. While not a widespread name, it has maintained a presence in parts of Germany, Switzerland, and neighboring regions, reflecting its Germanic roots and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sixel
Among Census respondents with the surname Sixel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sixel 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 Sixel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sixel
Sixel 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+7 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,354 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 2,354 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,438 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 Sixel 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 | #146,201 | #151,639 | -3.7% |
| Count | 113 | 107 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sixel bearers went from 113 to 107 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #151,639.
FAQ
Sixel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sixel?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Sixel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Sixel?
Sixel ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Sixel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Sixel.
Has Sixel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sixel went from 113 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Sixel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sixel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Sixel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sixel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Sixel (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 Sixel mean?
A surname potentially derived from the German "sechs" meaning six. 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 Sixel (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 many people are called Sixel?
Find out how many people have the surname Sixel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.