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

Tell, 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 Tell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tell in America

Tell is the 18128th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tell surname appeared 1,536 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tell 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 Tell

The surname Tell is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German word "tella" or "tello," meaning "flat or level ground." The name is believed to have originated in regions of present-day Germany and Switzerland during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tell can be found in the Codex Manesse, a 14th-century manuscript containing a collection of Middle High German poetry. The name appears in reference to a knight named Heinrich von Telle, who lived around 1300 in the region of Baden-Württemberg.

The surname Tell is closely associated with the legendary Swiss folk hero William Tell, whose exploits are depicted in the 15th-century Swiss German play "William Tell" by Friedrich Schiller. While the historical accuracy of William Tell's existence is debated, the legend has contributed significantly to the recognition and popularity of the surname.

In England, the surname Tell is thought to have originated from place names such as Telle in Wiltshire or Telle in Worcestershire, both of which derive from the Old English word "telga," meaning "a small branch or twig." One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in England was Robert de Telle, who is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Notable individuals with the surname Tell throughout history include:

1. Wilhelm Tell (c. 1250 - c. 1350), the legendary Swiss folk hero and the central figure in the legend of the apple shot from his son's head.

2. Johann Tell (1529 - 1594), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation.

3. William Tell (1608 - 1687), an English Puritan minister and author who was influential in the development of Congregationalism.

4. Abraham Tell (1664 - 1741), a Swiss Anabaptist leader and minister who helped establish the Amish community in Pennsylvania.

5. William Tell (1733 - 1796), an American Revolutionary War soldier and frontiersman known for his exploits in the Ohio Territory.

The surname Tell has been carried by individuals across various regions and time periods, reflecting its Germanic roots and the historical migration patterns that have contributed to its global spread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tell

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tell, please contact us.

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