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

Topel, 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 Topel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Topel in America

Topel is the 24838th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Topel surname appeared 1,002 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 Topel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Topel 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 Topel

The surname Topel is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the German state of Saxony, where it was initially spelled as "Topel" or "Töpel." The name is derived from the Middle High German word "topel," which means "a small bowl or pot."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Topel can be found in the Nuremberg Stadtbuch (City Book) from 1379, where a person named "Johannes Topel" is mentioned. This document provides valuable insight into the history and prevalence of the name in medieval Germany.

In the 15th century, the surname Topel appeared in various German records, including the Kirchenbücher (Church Books) of Saxony and Thuringia. One notable individual from this period was Hans Topel (1420-1488), a renowned potter and ceramist from the town of Meissen, who is credited with pioneering the production of the famous Meissen porcelain.

The 16th century saw the spread of the surname Topel across different regions of Germany. In 1573, a man named Peter Topel is recorded as a burgher (citizen) of the city of Nuremberg. Around the same time, the surname also appears in the parish records of the town of Schwarzenberg in Saxony.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Topel surname gained prominence in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. One notable figure from this era was Johann Topel (1673-1741), a Silesian theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics.

In the 19th century, the surname Topel continued to be prevalent in various German-speaking regions. Carl Topel (1819-1892), a prominent German painter and illustrator from Dresden, is perhaps one of the most well-known individuals with this surname from that time period.

Other notable individuals with the surname Topel include Wilhelm Topel (1826-1905), a German architect and urban planner who designed several buildings in Berlin, and Ernst Topel (1880-1955), a German chess master and author of several chess books.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Topel

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

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

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