Yeckel last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Yeckel

A diminutive variant of the Germanic name Jakob or Jacob.

Yeckel, 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 Yeckel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yeckel in America

Yeckel is the 101247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yeckel surname appeared 178 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 Yeckel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yeckel 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 101247 86341 15.89%
Count 178 201 -12.14%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.07 -15.38%

The history of the last name Yeckel

The surname Yeckel is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period in Europe. Specifically, it likely emerged in the regions of Bavaria or Swabia, areas that were well-established within the Holy Roman Empire. The name is thought to be a derivative of the German personal name Eckhart, which combines the elements "ecka," meaning edge or corner, and "hard," meaning strong or brave. Variations in spelling, such as Jeckel, Jeckle, and Yekel, were common as surnames were not standardized.

Early records of the surname Yeckel appear in various Germanic manuscripts and documents. For instance, a "Heinrich Eckel" was mentioned in a Bavarian tax register in the 14th century, around 1345. This suggests that the name, or its variant, was well-established by this time. Another early recorded instance is a "Hans Jeckel," who was documented in the civic rolls of Nuremberg in the late 15th century, approximately 1482, signifying the name's spread within German urban centers.

Throughout history, the Yeckel surname has been borne by several noteworthy individuals. Johann Jakob Yeckel, a notable craftsman from Augsburg, was born in 1675 and contributed significantly to the woodworking guilds of his time. His meticulous carvings are still revered in some churches in Bavaria. Moving forward to the 18th century, Maria Clara Yeckel, born 1723, gained recognition as a writer and poet within Hamburg's literary circles, reflecting a cultural shift that saw more women contributing to academic and artistic fields.

In the 19th century, Friedrich August Yeckel, born in 1803, became a prominent figure in the burgeoning German nationalist movement. A legal scholar, his writings critiqued the fragmented nature of German principalities and called for unification, making him an influential thinker pre-dating the eventual unification in 1871. Another notable 19th-century figure is Clara Yeckel, born in 1842, who was an early advocate for educational reforms and the rights of women, significantly contributing to the early feminist movement in Germany.

Finally, the name traveled across the Atlantic during various waves of immigration. One notable American figure is William Yeckel, born in 1875, an industrialist who played a significant role in the establishment of steel mills in Pittsburgh, contributing significantly to the city's economic development during the early 20th century. His legacy includes philanthropic efforts that funded educational and civic projects within Pennsylvania.

The Yeckel surname possesses a rich history embedded in medieval Germanic culture, extending its influence through notable individuals who contributed significantly to society in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yeckel

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

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 Yeckel was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.75% 174
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
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 Yeckel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 97.75% 98.01% -0.27%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
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 Yeckel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Yeckel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 25, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/yeckel-surname-popularity/.

"Yeckel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/yeckel-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 November, 2024

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

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