Weyel last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Weyel

An occupational surname derived from Middle High German meaning "wood-cutter" or "woodsman".

Weyel, 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 Weyel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Weyel in America

Weyel is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Weyel surname appeared 144 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 Weyel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Weyel 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 120187 107565 11.08%
Count 144 153 -6.06%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.06 -18.18%

The history of the last name Weyel

The surname Weyel is believed to have its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the medieval period, approximately the 12th or 13th century. The name likely hails from regions within central or western Germany, such as Hesse, Rhineland, or Westphalia, where similar spellings and variations appear in historical documents. The etymology of Weyel is probably rooted in old Germanic languages, potentially derived from words related to water bodies or specific geographical features, such as 'wyl,' meaning 'water' or 'stream,' which later evolved into Weyel.

Historical records from the 13th century show early instances of the surname in various forms. Manuscripts and registries compiled by early clerics and local authorities exhibit names like "Weyl" and "Weil," which share phonetic similarities with Weyel. These records often pertained to land transactions, tax records, and civic duties. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname is found in a 1256 document from Hesse, which lists a Heinrich von Weyel as a landholder, suggesting that the family held some degree of local prominence.

The surname appears in several notable records across centuries. A significant historical reference is the 1483 listing of a Johan Weyel in municipal records of the city of Cologne, indicating his involvement in the trade guilds of the time. In the early 17th century, a Matthias Weyel, born in 1587, became known for his contributions to the Protestant Reformation within the Palatinate region. His work as a theological writer and translator garnered him recognition in religious circles of his day.

In the 18th century, the name Weyel appears again with Christian Weyel, born in 1702, a noted artisan in the town of Mainz. His craftsmanship in woodwork is documented in several town records, contributing to the decor of local churches and public buildings. Moving into the 19th century, another prominent individual, Friedrich Weyel, born in 1824, emerged as an influential educator in Baden-Württemberg, whose progressive teaching methods were ahead of his time and significantly impacted the local education system.

A further example is the late 19th and early 20th-century industrialist Wilhelm Weyel, born in 1865 in Rhineland. He played a pivotal role in developing ironworks and machinery manufacturing in the region, contributing to the industrial boom. His advancements in engineering and factory management were well-regarded, making Weyel a surname associated with innovation and industrialization during that period.

Throughout its history, the surname Weyel has undergone several changes and adaptations, reflecting the linguistic shifts and cultural influences of the regions in which it was found. The name's persistence across centuries and various notable individuals highlights its enduring legacy in German history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Weyel

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

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 Weyel was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.22% 140
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Weyel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 97.22% 96.73% 0.51%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Weyel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 5, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/weyel-surname-popularity/.

"Weyel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/weyel-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 May, 2025

Weyel last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/weyel-surname-popularity/.

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