2000
#33,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 634
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Voegeli
A German surname derived from the word "Vogt" meaning a bailiff or official.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 831 Americans carry the last name Voegeli. That puts it at #33,783 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 412,460 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Voegeli 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
831
1 in 412,460
Census rank
#33,783
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
725
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 725 bearers of the surname Voegeli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33783rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Voegeli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Voegeli
The surname VOEGELI originated in Switzerland, specifically in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland. Its roots can be traced back to the 16th century and earlier. The name is derived from the German word "Vogt," which means "bailiff" or "steward." The "li" suffix indicates a diminutive form, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone employed in a minor administrative or managerial capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VOEGELI appears in the "Burgerbuch" (citizen book) of the city of Basel, dated 1523. This document lists a certain Hans Voegeli among the registered citizens of the time. The name is also found in various church records and legal documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in the cantons of Basel, Bern, and Zurich.
In the early 18th century, a notable figure named Johann Rudolf Voegeli (1692-1766) gained prominence as a respected theologian and author in Zurich. His works, including "Institutiones Theologicae" (Theological Institutions), were widely read and influential in their time.
Another individual of historical significance was Johann Jakob Voegeli (1768-1844), a Swiss painter and engraver from Zurich. He is best known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works are held in numerous art collections across Switzerland.
During the 19th century, the name VOEGELI appears in connection with several notable Swiss families involved in various professions and industries. For instance, Johann Konrad Voegeli (1806-1878) was a prominent Swiss businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the Swiss textile industry.
In the realm of academia, the name VOEGELI is associated with Walter Andreas Voegeli (1898-1967), a Swiss economist and professor at the University of Zurich. His contributions to the field of economics and his advocacy for free market principles earned him recognition both in Switzerland and internationally.
Throughout its history, the surname VOEGELI has maintained a strong presence in Switzerland, particularly in the German-speaking regions. While it may have experienced some variations in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the administrative and managerial roles held by those who bore this name in the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Voegeli
Among Census respondents with the surname Voegeli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Voegeli 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 Voegeli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 680
- Two or more races3.0% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Voegeli
Voegeli 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
#34,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 668
+34 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 156 places
2020
#33,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 725
+57 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 249 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,876 | 634 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,032 | 668 | 0.23 | +34 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 156 places |
| 2020 | #33,783 | 725 | 0.24 | +57 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 249 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 Voegeli 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 | #34,032 | #33,783 | 0.7% |
| Count | 668 | 725 | 8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.24 | 5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Voegeli bearers went from 668 to 725 (+8.5% change). The surname moved up 249 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,032 to #33,783.
FAQ
Voegeli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Voegeli?
Name Census estimates that about 831 living Americans carry the surname Voegeli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 412,460 residents.
How common is Voegeli?
Voegeli ranks #33,783 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 725 people with the surname Voegeli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (831), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Voegeli.
Has Voegeli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Voegeli went from 668 recorded bearers to 725. That is an increase of 57 (+8.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #34,032 to #33,783.
What does the Census say about the background of Voegeli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Voegeli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Voegeli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (680 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Voegeli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Voegeli (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 Voegeli mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Vogt" meaning a bailiff or official. 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 Voegeli (0.24 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 are called Voegeli?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Voegeli, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.