2000
#4,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,280
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.70
Rare Last name
Cassell
An English occupational surname for a person who made or sold casings or armor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,105 Americans carry the last name Cassell. That puts it at #4,846 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cassell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cassell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.1K
1 in 42,289
Census rank
#4,846
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,068 bearers of the surname Cassell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4846th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cassell, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cassell
The surname Cassell has its origins in France and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "cassel," which referred to a small castle or fortified house. This name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked in such a structure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cassell appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Casell," which was likely a variation in spelling.
During the Middle Ages, the name Cassell was relatively common in parts of northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. It is possible that some individuals with this surname may have been among the Norman settlers who accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1066.
By the 13th century, the name had spread to other parts of Europe, including Germany and the Low Countries. In these regions, the spelling often varied, with forms such as "Cassel" and "Kassell" appearing in historical records.
One notable individual with the surname Cassell was Sir John Cassell (1515-1584), an English courtier and politician who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He was a member of Parliament and played a role in the negotiations with Spain during the Anglo-Spanish War.
Another prominent figure was Sir Richard Cassell (1690-1751), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the War of the Austrian Succession. He commanded several ships and participated in several battles against the French and Spanish fleets.
In the 19th century, John Cassell (1817-1865) was a successful publisher and entrepreneur in London. He founded the Cassell Publishing Company, which became renowned for producing affordable and educational books for the masses.
Marie Cassell (1842-1928) was a French author and journalist who wrote extensively on social and women's issues. She was a prominent figure in the feminist movement and advocated for greater rights and opportunities for women.
Finally, Gustav Cassell (1872-1946) was a German physician and bacteriologist who made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of infectious diseases. He is particularly known for his work on the causative agent of syphilis and the development of diagnostic tests for the disease.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cassell
Among Census respondents with the surname Cassell, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cassell 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 Cassell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 5,604
- Black or African American12.9% · 915
- Two or more races3.5% · 246
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 227
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cassell
Cassell 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
#4,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,587
+307 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.57
Rank movement Down 191 places
2020
#4,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,068
-519 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 2.36
Rank movement Down 170 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,485 | 7,280 | 2.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,676 | 7,587 | 2.57 | +307 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 191 places |
| 2020 | #4,846 | 7,068 | 2.36 | -519 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 170 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 Cassell 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 | #4,676 | #4,846 | -3.6% |
| Count | 7,587 | 7,068 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.57 | 2.36 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cassell bearers went from 7,587 to 7,068 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 170 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,676 to #4,846.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cassell
FAQ
Cassell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cassell?
Name Census estimates that about 8,105 living Americans carry the surname Cassell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,289 residents.
How common is Cassell?
Cassell ranks #4,846 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,068 people with the surname Cassell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,105), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cassell.
Has Cassell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cassell went from 7,587 recorded bearers to 7,068. That is a decrease of 519 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,676 to #4,846.
What does the Census say about the background of Cassell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cassell, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Cassell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (5,604 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cassell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Black (12.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Cassell (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 Cassell mean?
An English occupational surname for a person who made or sold casings or armor. 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 Cassell (2.36 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 Cassell?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Cassell is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.