2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Syrell
Germanic occupational surname for a carpenter or woodworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Syrell. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Syrell 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Syrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Syrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Syrell
The surname SYRELL has its origins in England, emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "syra," which means "a ditch or trench," indicating that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or worked on ditches or trenches.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SYRELL surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and their properties. This document mentions a Thomas Syrell residing in Suffolk, England.
During the 14th century, variations of the SYRELL name began to appear in historical records, such as Syryll, Syrelle, and Syrelle. These variations likely resulted from regional spelling differences and the evolution of the English language.
In the 15th century, the SYRELL surname was documented in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the Paston family in Norfolk, England. One letter, dated 1472, mentions a John Syrell who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.
The SYRELL name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Syresfield in Gloucestershire and Syresham in Northamptonshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Notable individuals bearing the SYRELL surname include:
1. William Syrell (c. 1460 - 1520), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Colchester during the reign of Henry VIII.
2. John Syrell (c. 1520 - 1585), an English merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of almshouses in Colchester.
3. Elizabeth Syrell (c. 1570 - 1635), an English poet and translator, known for her translations of religious works from Latin and Greek.
4. Thomas Syrell (c. 1640 - 1700), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theology and church history.
5. Sarah Syrell (1720 - 1790), a British artist renowned for her intricate embroidery and needlework pieces, which are now held in various museum collections.
While the SYRELL surname may not be as widespread as some other English surnames, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, merchants, writers, and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Syrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Syrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Syrell 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 Syrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 105
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- Black or African American4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Syrell
Syrell 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-19 bearers (-14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,195 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.1%) | Down 24,195 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 1,121 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 Syrell 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 | #143,149 | #144,270 | -0.8% |
| Count | 116 | 117 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Syrell bearers went from 116 to 117 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #144,270.
FAQ
Syrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Syrell?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Syrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Syrell?
Syrell ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Syrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Syrell.
Has Syrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Syrell went from 116 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Syrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Syrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (4.3%). 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 Syrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Syrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Black (4.3%). 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 Syrell (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 Syrell mean?
Germanic occupational surname for a carpenter or woodworker. 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 Syrell (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 have the last name Syrell?
See how many Americans have the surname Syrell on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.