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

Suel, 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 Suel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Suel in America

Suel is the 83834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Suel surname appeared 224 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 Suel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Suel 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 Suel

The surname Suel has its origins in the northwestern region of Spain, particularly in the Basque Country. The name is believed to have derived from the Basque word "sua," which means fire or light. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with professions related to fire or light, such as blacksmiths, candlemakers, or perhaps even lighthouses.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Suel can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. This cartulary, which contains a collection of documents related to the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, mentions a certain "Garsea Suel" who was involved in a land transaction.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records from the Kingdom of Navarre, such as the Fuero de Navarra, which was a collection of laws and privileges granted to the nobility and towns. One notable figure from this period was Pedro Suel, a nobleman who served as a royal advisor to King Sancho VII of Navarre (1194-1234).

As the Suel family spread across northern Spain, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including Suhel, Suhail, and Sueil. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the influence of other languages, such as Castilian Spanish or French.

During the 16th century, the name gained prominence in the Basque region, with several notable individuals bearing the surname Suel. One such person was Juan Suel (1510-1580), a renowned architect and sculptor who was responsible for the construction of several churches and buildings in the Basque Country.

Another famous figure was María Suel (1568-1642), a Basque writer and poet whose works were widely acclaimed during the Spanish Golden Age. Her collection of poems, "Cancionero de María Suel," is considered a significant contribution to the literary heritage of the Basque language.

In the 18th century, the Suel surname found its way to the Americas, where it was adopted by Spanish settlers and their descendants. One notable individual from this period was Tomás Suel (1725-1798), a Spanish explorer and cartographer who mapped vast regions of South America and contributed significantly to the understanding of the continent's geography.

Throughout its history, the surname Suel has been associated with various professions and fields, from architecture and arts to exploration and cartography. While its origins may be traced back to the Basque Country and the concept of fire or light, the name has spread across continents and cultures, leaving an indelible mark on the tapestry of human history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Suel

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Suel, 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!