2000
#17,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,538
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.57
Rare Last name
Udell
A locational surname originating from a place name near Paris, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,056 Americans carry the last name Udell. That puts it at #15,680 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,709 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Udell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Udell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,709
Census rank
#15,680
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,793 bearers of the surname Udell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15680th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Udell, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Udell
The surname UDELL is believed to have originated in England, with early records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ud" meaning wood or forest, and "dell" meaning a valley or hollow, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a wooded valley or forest clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Robert de Udel". This spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the surname UDELL appeared in various forms, including "Udal", "Udell", and "Udelle", in records from counties such as Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. This suggests that the name was concentrated in the eastern regions of England during this period.
The UDELL surname is also linked to several place names, such as Udell in Northamptonshire and Udal in Yorkshire, further reinforcing its geographic associations.
Notable individuals bearing the UDELL surname throughout history include:
1. Sir William Udell (c. 1390-1462), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the 15th century.
2. John Udall (1560-1592), an English Puritan minister and playwright, known for his controversial religious views and his play "Ralph Roister Doister".
3. Mary Udell (1627-1704), an early settler in colonial New England and one of the accused during the Salem Witch Trials.
4. James Udell (1749-1825), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a captain in the Royal Navy.
5. William Udell (1826-1901), an American politician and businessman who served as the mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania, in the late 19th century.
While the UDELL surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Udell
Among Census respondents with the surname Udell, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Udell 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 Udell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 1,505
- Black or African American8.0% · 143
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 62
- Two or more races3.3% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Udell
Udell 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
#17,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,645
+107 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Down 186 places
2020
#15,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,793
+148 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 1,536 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,030 | 1,538 | 0.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,216 | 1,645 | 0.56 | +107 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 186 places |
| 2020 | #15,680 | 1,793 | 0.60 | +148 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 1,536 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 Udell 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 | #17,216 | #15,680 | 8.9% |
| Count | 1,645 | 1,793 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.60 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Udell bearers went from 1,645 to 1,793 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 1,536 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,216 to #15,680.
FAQ
Udell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Udell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,056 living Americans carry the surname Udell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,709 residents.
How common is Udell?
Udell ranks #15,680 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,793 people with the surname Udell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,056), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Udell.
Has Udell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Udell went from 1,645 recorded bearers to 1,793. That is an increase of 148 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,216 to #15,680.
What does the Census say about the background of Udell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Udell, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Udell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (1,505 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Udell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (8.0%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Udell (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 Udell mean?
A locational surname originating from a place name near Paris, France. 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 Udell (0.60 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 share the surname Udell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.