2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kristel
A surname of Greek origin meaning "follower of Christ."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 144 Americans carry the last name Kristel. That puts it at #137,553 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,380,238 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kristel 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
144
1 in 2,380,238
Census rank
#137,553
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
126
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 126 bearers of the surname Kristel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 137553rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kristel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kristel
The surname Kristel is believed to have originated in the Netherlands and Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Dutch word 'kristel', which means 'crystal' or 'glass'. The name likely referred to a person who worked as a glass maker or seller.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kristel can be found in a Dutch census record from the year 1524, where a man named Pieter Kristel was listed as a resident of Amsterdam. Another early reference is found in a German church record from 1587, which mentions a woman named Katharina Kristel.
In the 17th century, the name Kristel appears in various Dutch and German records, often associated with towns and villages known for their glass-making industries. For example, in 1642, a man named Hans Kristel was recorded as a glass blower in the town of Naumburg, Germany.
One notable bearer of the name Kristel was the Dutch painter, Jan Kristel (1624-1672), who was renowned for his still-life paintings depicting glassware and other objects. Another prominent figure was the German philosopher and writer, Johann Kristel (1637-1714), who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the 19th century, the name Kristel spread to other parts of Europe, including France and England, where it was sometimes anglicized as 'Cristal' or 'Crystal'. One such individual was the French novelist, Marguerite Kristel (1875-1942), who wrote several historical novels set during the French Revolution.
Other notable individuals with the surname Kristel include the Dutch actress, Sylvia Kristel (1952-2012), who gained international fame for her role in the erotic film "Emmanuelle", and the German professional footballer, Tobias Kristel (born 1982), who played for several Bundesliga clubs.
While the surname Kristel is not as common as some other Dutch or German surnames, it has a rich history and connection to the glass-making industry of the past. Its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the name has been borne by artists, writers, and other notable figures throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kristel
Among Census respondents with the surname Kristel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kristel 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 Kristel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kristel
Kristel 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
#115,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
+18 bearers (+13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 4,691 places
2020
#137,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-25 bearers (-16.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,914 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,639 | 151 | 0.05 | +18 bearers (+13.5%) | Up 4,691 places |
| 2020 | #137,553 | 126 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-16.6%) | Down 21,914 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 Kristel 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 | #115,639 | #137,553 | -19.0% |
| Count | 151 | 126 | -16.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -15.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kristel bearers went from 151 to 126 (-16.6% change). The surname moved down 21,914 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,639 to #137,553.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kristel
FAQ
Kristel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kristel?
Name Census estimates that about 144 living Americans carry the surname Kristel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,380,238 residents.
How common is Kristel?
Kristel ranks #137,553 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 126 people with the surname Kristel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (144), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kristel.
Has Kristel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kristel went from 151 recorded bearers to 126. That is a decrease of 25 (-16.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #115,639 to #137,553.
What does the Census say about the background of Kristel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kristel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). 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 Kristel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kristel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). 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 Kristel (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 Kristel mean?
A surname of Greek origin meaning "follower of Christ." 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 Kristel (0.04 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 Kristel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.