2000
#21,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Suriel
A Portuguese surname potentially derived from the Hebrew name Uriel, meaning "light of God".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,206 Americans carry the last name Suriel. That puts it at #14,799 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,374 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Suriel 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
2.2K
1 in 155,374
Census rank
#14,799
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,924 bearers of the surname Suriel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14799th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Suriel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Suriel
The surname SURIEL originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "sur," meaning "south," and the Hebrew name "El," which refers to God. This combination suggests that the name may have been associated with Jewish communities in southern Spain.
The earliest recorded instances of the SURIEL surname can be traced back to the 13th century in historical documents from the region of Andalusia, particularly in the cities of Seville and Córdoba. These records often mentioned individuals with the surname SURIEL engaged in various professions and trades.
One notable mention of the SURIEL name appears in the 14th-century manuscript "Libro de los Repartimientos," which documented the distribution of land and properties in the conquered territories of the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista. This manuscript lists several individuals with the SURIEL surname as recipients of land grants in the region of Murcia.
During the 15th century, the SURIEL surname gained prominence among Jewish communities in Spain, particularly in the city of Toledo. Historical records from this period mention several scholars and rabbis bearing the SURIEL name, such as Isaac ben Judah SURIEL (1430-1495), a renowned Talmudic scholar and author of several religious texts.
As the Spanish Inquisition intensified in the late 15th century, many Jewish families with the SURIEL surname were forced to convert to Christianity or flee the country. Some of these individuals found refuge in Portugal, the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe, contributing to the spread of the SURIEL name across different regions.
One notable figure with the SURIEL surname was Diego SURIEL (1550-1621), a Spanish playwright and poet during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His works included plays such as "El Caballero de Olmedo" and "La Vida es Sueño," which explored themes of honor, love, and the human condition.
In the 18th century, the SURIEL surname appeared in various records across Europe, including birth, marriage, and death registers. For example, Miguel SURIEL (1715-1789) was a renowned Spanish artist known for his religious paintings and frescoes adorning churches throughout Spain.
Another prominent individual with the SURIEL surname was Esther SURIEL (1780-1856), a Dutch novelist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education. Her works, including "De Vrouw en Haar Roeping" (The Woman and Her Calling), challenged societal norms and advocated for gender equality.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Suriel
Among Census respondents with the surname Suriel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Suriel 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 Suriel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.0% · 1,847
- White2.8% · 53
- Black or African American0.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Suriel
Suriel 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
#17,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,644
+506 bearers (+44.5%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 4,195 places
2020
#14,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,924
+280 bearers (+17.0%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 2,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,424 | 1,138 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,229 | 1,644 | 0.56 | +506 bearers (+44.5%) | Up 4,195 places |
| 2020 | #14,799 | 1,924 | 0.64 | +280 bearers (+17.0%) | Up 2,430 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 Suriel 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 | #17,229 | #14,799 | 14.1% |
| Count | 1,644 | 1,924 | 17.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.64 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Suriel bearers went from 1,644 to 1,924 (+17.0% change). The surname moved up 2,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,229 to #14,799.
FAQ
Suriel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Suriel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,206 living Americans carry the surname Suriel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,374 residents.
How common is Suriel?
Suriel ranks #14,799 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,924 people with the surname Suriel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,206), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Suriel.
Has Suriel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Suriel went from 1,644 recorded bearers to 1,924. That is an increase of 280 (+17.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,229 to #14,799.
What does the Census say about the background of Suriel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Suriel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Black (0.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Suriel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (1,847 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Suriel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.0%), White (2.8%), Black (0.7%). 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 Suriel (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 Suriel mean?
A Portuguese surname potentially derived from the Hebrew name Uriel, meaning "light of God". 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 Suriel (0.64 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 Suriel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.