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

Varel, 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 Varel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Varel in America

Varel is the 98553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Varel surname appeared 184 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 Varel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Varel 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 Varel

The surname Varel is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Lower Saxony. The name likely emerged in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the German place name "Varel," which is a town located in the district of Friesland, near the North Sea coast.

The town of Varel itself is thought to have been named after the Old Saxon word "fara," meaning "ferry" or "crossing," referring to its location near a river crossing or ford. The earliest known spelling of the place name was "Farloh" or "Farloch," which eventually evolved into "Varel" over time.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Varel can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the Archbishopric of Bremen, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.

In the 15th century, there is a record of a nobleman named Johann Varel, who served as a councilor to the Duke of Oldenburg. He played a significant role in the political affairs of the region during that period.

Another notable figure with the surname Varel was Hinrich Varel, a merchant and trader who lived in the 16th century. He was involved in the lucrative trade between the Hanseatic cities and England, importing goods such as wool and cloth.

During the 17th century, a Lutheran pastor named Johannes Varel gained recognition for his theological writings and sermons. He served in various parishes throughout Lower Saxony and was known for his scholarly contributions to the Protestant Reformation.

In the 18th century, a military officer named Wilhelm Varel distinguished himself in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years' War. He rose through the ranks and was eventually awarded a knighthood for his bravery and leadership.

One of the more recent historical figures with the surname Varel was Hans Varel, a German artist and painter who lived in the early 20th century. He was known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in Lower Saxony, capturing the beauty of the region's countryside.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Varel

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

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

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

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