2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Synesael
An anglicized spelling of the rare French surname meaning "fox" or "clever one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Synesael. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Synesael 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Synesael in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Synesael, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Synesael
The surname SYNESAEL has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch words "syn" meaning "his" and "esael" which was an old Dutch nickname for a donkey, potentially referring to someone with a stubborn or hardworking nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a Dutch census record from the city of Utrecht in 1587, listing a Jan SYNESAEL as a resident. The name also appears in various municipal records from the nearby towns of Amersfoort and Rhenen during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the 17th century, the name SYNESAEL can be found in several historical documents from the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), suggesting that members of the family may have been among the early Dutch colonists or traders in the region.
A notable figure bearing the SYNESAEL surname was Pieter SYNESAEL (1618-1687), a Dutch merchant and ship owner who played a role in the establishment of the Dutch East India Company's presence in Batavia (present-day Jakarta).
Another individual of note was Cornelis SYNESAEL (1723-1801), a Dutch painter and engraver who became known for his landscapes and etchings depicting scenes from the Netherlands and its colonies.
In the 19th century, the SYNESAEL name appears in records from the Netherlands and its former colonies, with several individuals achieving recognition in various fields. Jacobus SYNESAEL (1814-1891) was a Dutch botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of tropical plants.
Marie SYNESAEL (1856-1927), born in the Dutch East Indies, was a pioneering female journalist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education in the region.
The surname SYNESAEL also spread to other parts of Europe, with records indicating its presence in countries such as Germany and Belgium. In the 20th century, Hendrik SYNESAEL (1901-1978), a Belgian artist and sculptor, gained recognition for his abstract works and public art installations.
While the SYNESAEL surname may not be as widely known as some other Dutch surnames, its historical roots and the achievements of various individuals bearing the name have contributed to its enduring legacy and cultural significance in the Netherlands and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Synesael
Among Census respondents with the surname Synesael, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Synesael 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 Synesael surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Synesael
Synesael 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,949 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,862 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 8,949 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,862 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 Synesael 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 | #156,044 | #154,182 | 1.2% |
| Count | 104 | 103 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Synesael bearers went from 104 to 103 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,862 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,182.
FAQ
Synesael surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Synesael?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Synesael. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Synesael?
Synesael ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Synesael. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Synesael.
Has Synesael become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Synesael went from 104 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Synesael?
Among Census respondents with the surname Synesael, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Synesael in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Synesael appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Synesael (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 Synesael mean?
An anglicized spelling of the rare French surname meaning "fox" or "clever one". 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 Synesael (0.03 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 Synesael?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.