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

Unkel, 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 Unkel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Unkel in America

Unkel is the 67519th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Unkel surname appeared 292 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 Unkel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Unkel 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 Unkel

The surname Unkel is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the placename Unkel, a town situated along the Rhine River in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. This town's name is thought to originate from the Latin word "uncus," meaning "hook" or "bend," likely referring to the curve of the river at that location.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Unkel dates back to the 13th century, appearing in various medieval German documents and records. One notable mention is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Rheno-Mosellanus, a collection of historical documents from the Rhineland region, where an individual named Henricus de Unkel is referenced in the year 1285.

During the 14th century, the Unkel surname is mentioned in connection with the town of the same name. A document from 1342 refers to a certain "Johann von Unkel," indicating his association with the town. This suggests that the surname may have initially been adopted by residents or landowners from the area.

In the 15th century, the name appears in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of several German parishes, demonstrating its spread across different regions. One notable entry is from the parish of St. Laurentius in Cologne, which records the baptism of a child named Johannes Unkel in 1467.

Among the historically significant individuals bearing the Unkel surname is Johann Unkel (1514-1578), a German Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a crucial role in establishing Protestantism in the Rhineland region. Another notable figure is Johann Wilhelm Unkel (1678-1744), a German artist and engraver renowned for his intricate copperplate etchings depicting landscapes and architectural scenes.

Other prominent individuals with the Unkel surname include:

1. Friedrich Unkel (1810-1876), a German educator and author who wrote extensively on pedagogical methods and educational reform.
2. Hermann Unkel (1886-1958), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities.
3. Elsa Unkel (1900-1984), a German artist and sculptor known for her avant-garde works and contributions to the Expressionist movement.
4. Gerhard Unkel (1924-2002), a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), who served as a member of the Bundestag (German parliament) from 1965 to 1987.
5. Rainer Unkel (born 1951), a contemporary German author and playwright, acclaimed for his novels and plays exploring themes of identity, memory, and societal change.

The surname Unkel, with its origins deeply rooted in German history and place names, has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, contributing to the cultural and intellectual landscapes of Germany and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Unkel

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

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

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