2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Varbel
An occupational surname likely referring to someone who worked with feathers or fur.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Varbel. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varbel 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Varbel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varbel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varbel
The surname VARBEL is thought to have originated in the northern regions of Germany during the late 12th century. Its roots can be traced back to the Old German word "varbe" which meant "color" and the suffix "-el" denoting a diminutive form. Thus, the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with colors or dyes, perhaps a dyer or painter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Brandenburg region, dated around 1220. It mentions a certain "Henricus Varbel" who was a landowner in the village of Zehden.
In the 14th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. The Würzburger Urkundenbuch, a compilation of records from the city of Würzburg, lists a "Johannes Varbel" who was a merchant in the year 1367.
As the name continued to evolve, different spellings emerged, such as Varbele, Varbeln, and Varbell. These variations can be found in various medieval documents and records across Germany and parts of modern-day Poland.
One notable figure in history who bore this surname was Hans Varbel, a German artist and engraver who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries (c. 1460-1522). He was known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings, many of which depicted religious scenes and themes.
Another individual of note was Katharina Varbel (1538-1612), a German noblewoman and landowner from the Palatinate region. She was known for her philanthropic work and for founding a hospital in her hometown of Germersheim.
In the 17th century, the name Varbel appears to have spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. Records from this period show a Pieter Varbel (1612-1678) who was a Dutch merchant and ship owner based in Amsterdam.
In England, the earliest known example of the name is found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, where a John Varbel is listed as having been baptized in 1643.
As time progressed, the name continued to be found across various parts of Europe, with notable individuals such as Johann Varbel (1785-1847), a German composer and organist from Leipzig, and Elise Varbel (1823-1894), a French painter and illustrator who was part of the Realist movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varbel
Among Census respondents with the surname Varbel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Varbel 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 Varbel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varbel
Varbel 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+10 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 244 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-8 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,435 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 244 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 9,435 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 Varbel 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 | #135,593 | #145,028 | -7.0% |
| Count | 124 | 116 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varbel bearers went from 124 to 116 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 9,435 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #145,028.
FAQ
Varbel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varbel?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Varbel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Varbel?
Varbel ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Varbel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Varbel.
Has Varbel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varbel went from 124 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Varbel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varbel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Varbel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varbel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Varbel (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 Varbel mean?
An occupational surname likely referring to someone who worked with feathers or fur. 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 Varbel (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 surname Varbel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.