2000
#66,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 280
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Amiel
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly from a French place name or pet form of Hebrew names.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 347 Americans carry the last name Amiel. That puts it at #69,752 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 987,765 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amiel 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
347
1 in 987,765
Census rank
#69,752
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
303
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 303 bearers of the surname Amiel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69752nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amiel, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.5%) and Black (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amiel
The surname AMIEL is of French origin, deriving from the Latin personal name Aemilius. It emerged in the early medieval period, with some of the earliest recorded instances found in regions like Normandy and Île-de-France.
The name is believed to have its roots in the Roman family name Aemilius, which was derived from the Latin word "aemulus," meaning "rival" or "competitor." This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have been associated with a competitive or ambitious spirit.
In the 11th century, the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror, contains mentions of individuals with variations of the name, such as Amiell and Amiel. These entries indicate the presence of people with this surname in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname AMIEL was Jean Amiel, a French poet and theologian born in the late 13th century in Provence. He is known for his works on theology and philosophy, which reflected the intellectual climate of the time.
Another notable figure was Henri Amiel, a Swiss philosopher and poet born in 1821. He is best known for his intimate journal, which provides insights into his thoughts and inner life. His journal entries have been widely published and studied, making him a significant figure in the literary world of the 19th century.
In the 16th century, the name AMIEL was associated with several notable figures in the French Protestant movement. For instance, Jacques Amiel, born around 1550 in Montpellier, was a prominent Huguenot minister and theologian who played a role in the religious conflicts of that era.
Moving forward, André Amiel, a French writer and journalist born in 1909, gained recognition for his works on literature and culture. His contributions to the literary scene in the mid-20th century earned him a place among the notable figures with this surname.
Finally, Henri Amiel, a Swiss composer and pianist born in 1957, has gained international acclaim for his compositions and performances. His works have been performed by renowned orchestras and ensembles, cementing his place in the world of contemporary classical music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amiel
Among Census respondents with the surname Amiel, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.5%) and Black (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Amiel 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 Amiel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 230
- Hispanic or Latino18.5% · 56
- Black or African American4.3% · 13
- Two or more races1.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amiel
Amiel 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
#62,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 323
+43 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 4,028 places
2020
#69,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 303
-20 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 7,707 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #66,073 | 280 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #62,045 | 323 | 0.11 | +43 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 4,028 places |
| 2020 | #69,752 | 303 | 0.10 | -20 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 7,707 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 Amiel 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 | #62,045 | #69,752 | -12.4% |
| Count | 323 | 303 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.10 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amiel bearers went from 323 to 303 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 7,707 positions in the national ranking, going from #62,045 to #69,752.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Amiel
FAQ
Amiel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amiel?
Name Census estimates that about 347 living Americans carry the surname Amiel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 987,765 residents.
How common is Amiel?
Amiel ranks #69,752 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 303 people with the surname Amiel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Amiel.
Has Amiel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amiel went from 323 recorded bearers to 303. That is a decrease of 20 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #62,045 to #69,752.
What does the Census say about the background of Amiel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amiel, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.5%) and Black (4.3%). 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 Amiel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (230 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amiel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), Hispanic (18.5%), Black (4.3%). 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 Amiel (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 Amiel mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly from a French place name or pet form of Hebrew names. 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 Amiel (0.10 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 share the surname Amiel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.