2000
#12,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,346
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Handel
Derived from the German word for "hand," likely referring to a skilled worker or craftsman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,377 Americans carry the last name Handel. That puts it at #13,934 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,196 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Handel 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 Handel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 144,196
Census rank
#13,934
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,073 bearers of the surname Handel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13934th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Handel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Handel
The surname Handel has its origins in Germany, and it is believed to have emerged around the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "handal," which means "trade" or "commerce." This suggests that the name was likely initially associated with merchants or traders.
The earliest known record of the Handel surname dates back to the 13th century, with references found in various medieval manuscripts and records from different regions of Germany. One notable mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Brandenburg region, where the name "Handel" appears in entries from the late 13th century.
The name Handel has also been linked to various place names throughout Germany, such as Handelsblatt, a town in the state of Hesse, which translates to "trade sheet" or "commercial paper." This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the concept of trade or commerce.
Among the notable individuals who have borne the surname Handel is the renowned Baroque composer Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759). Born in Halle, Germany, Handel is considered one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era and is best known for his operas, oratorios, and instrumental works, including the celebrated "Messiah."
Another prominent figure with the Handel surname is the German astronomer Ernst Handel (1853-1915), who made significant contributions to the study of asteroids and comets. He discovered several asteroids during his career and had one named after him, Asteroid 2682 Handel.
In the realm of literature, the German writer and poet Gottfried Handel (1771-1849) gained recognition for his work in the Romantic period. He is particularly known for his lyrical poetry and his contributions to the development of German literature in the early 19th century.
The Handel surname can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and parts of Eastern Europe. For instance, the Dutch painter Theodoor Handel (1668-1737) was a notable figure in the Golden Age of Dutch painting, known for his genre scenes and portraits.
While the Handel surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the name's origins and historical associations with trade and commerce remain an integral part of its rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Handel
Among Census respondents with the surname Handel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Handel 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 Handel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 1,916
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 84
- Two or more races2.3% · 47
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Handel
Handel 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
#12,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,367
+21 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 796 places
2020
#13,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,073
-294 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,175 | 2,346 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,971 | 2,367 | 0.80 | +21 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 796 places |
| 2020 | #13,934 | 2,073 | 0.69 | -294 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 963 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 Handel 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 | #12,971 | #13,934 | -7.4% |
| Count | 2,367 | 2,073 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.69 | -13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Handel bearers went from 2,367 to 2,073 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 963 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,971 to #13,934.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Handel
FAQ
Handel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Handel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,377 living Americans carry the surname Handel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,196 residents.
How common is Handel?
Handel ranks #13,934 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,073 people with the surname Handel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,377), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Handel.
Has Handel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Handel went from 2,367 recorded bearers to 2,073. That is a decrease of 294 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,971 to #13,934.
What does the Census say about the background of Handel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Handel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Handel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,916 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Handel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Handel (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 Handel mean?
Derived from the German word for "hand," likely referring to a skilled worker or craftsman. 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 Handel (0.69 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 Americans have the surname Handel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.