2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wartel
Of German origin, likely an occupational surname referring to a watchman or guard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Wartel. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wartel 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Wartel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wartel, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wartel
The surname Wartel originates from the Low Countries region of Europe, encompassing modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. It emerged during the Middle Ages, likely in the early 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old Dutch word "wart," which means "hill" or "elevated ground," and the suffix "-el," indicating a location or a diminutive form. This suggests that Wartel may have initially referred to someone residing near a small hill or raised area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wartel can be found in the Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland, a collection of historical documents from the Dutch provinces of Holland and Zeeland, dating back to the 13th century. This mention indicates the name's presence in the region during that time period.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Johannes Wartel was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bruges, Belgium. He played a significant role in the city's affairs and contributed to its economic prosperity through his trade activities.
During the 16th century, the Wartel name appears in several historical records from the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg. For instance, a document from the town of Eindhoven in 1583 mentions a certain Adriaen Wartel, who was a local landowner and farmer.
In the late 17th century, a renowned Dutch painter and engraver named Cornelis Wartel gained recognition for his landscapes and cityscapes. Born in 1652 in the town of Leiden, he is considered one of the notable artists of the Dutch Golden Age.
Another prominent figure with the surname Wartel was Pieter Wartel, a Flemish sculptor and architect who lived in the 18th century. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings and sculptures in the city of Ghent, Belgium, including the Baroque-style Church of St. Michael.
Throughout history, variations of the name Wartel have also been recorded, such as Warte, Wartte, and Wartelle, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the regions where the name was found. Additionally, some place names in the Low Countries, such as Wartelgem and Warteldijk, may have derived their names from the surname Wartel or vice versa, indicating a strong connection between the name and specific locations in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wartel
Among Census respondents with the surname Wartel, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wartel 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 Wartel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.9% · 73
- Black or African American25.2% · 26
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wartel
Wartel 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-18 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,583 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 26,583 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 413 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 Wartel 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 | #153,769 | #154,182 | -0.3% |
| Count | 106 | 103 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wartel bearers went from 106 to 103 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,182.
FAQ
Wartel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wartel?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Wartel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Wartel?
Wartel ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Wartel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Wartel.
Has Wartel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wartel went from 106 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Wartel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wartel, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Wartel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.9% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wartel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.9%), Black (25.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Wartel (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 Wartel mean?
Of German origin, likely an occupational surname referring to a watchman or guard. 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 Wartel (0.03 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 common is the surname Wartel?
You can see how many people have the surname Wartel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.