Explore the Family Name Engel
The meaning of Engel
1. German, Dutch, and Danish: from a short form of various ancient Germanic personal names (see, for example, Engelbert and Engelhard). A number of different elements have fallen together in Engel-, mainly Ingal, extended form of Ing, the name of an ancient Germanic god or folk hero, and Angel ‘Angle’. The Angles were an ancient Germanic tribe living on the Jutland peninsula; in the 5th–6th centuries they invaded eastern and northern Britain and gave their name to England (Old English Englaland ‘land of the Angles’). 2. German and Dutch: topographic or habitational name referring to a house bearing the sign of an angel, Middle High German engel. This surname, in both possible senses (see also 1 above), is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). 3. English (London): of German or Dutch origin (see 1 and 2 above), or a variant of Ingle. 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Engel ‘angel’ (see 2 above). Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Hans, Fritz, Heinz, Rainer, Otto, Albrecht, Alois, Benno, Dieter, Elfriede, Erwin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Engel in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Engel has experienced slight fluctuations over a decade. In 2000, Engel ranked as the 1530th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had fallen to 1644th place, reflecting a decrease of 7.45%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Engel surname increased from 21,567 in 2000 to 21,933 in 2010, an increment of 1.7%. Similarly, the proportion of people named Engel per 100,000 decreased slightly from 7.99 to 7.44, a change of -6.88%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,530 | #1,644 | -7.45% |
| Count | 21,567 | 21,933 | 1.7% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.99 | 7.44 | -6.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Engel
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Engel also saw changes between 2000 and 2010, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The majority of individuals with the Engel surname identify as White, although this percentage dropped slightly from 96.29% in 2000 to 95.20% in 2010. The number of Engel individuals identifying as Hispanic experienced the most significant growth, increasing by 52.29% to reach 2.33% in 2010. There were also slight increases in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. Meanwhile, the number of people with mixed ethnic identity (two or more races) rose by 18.35%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.29% | 95.2% | -1.13% |
| Hispanic | 1.53% | 2.33% | 52.29% |
| Two or More Races | 1.09% | 1.29% | 18.35% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.58% | 9.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.32% | 0.33% | 3.13% |
| Black | 0.24% | 0.26% | 8.33% |
Engel ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Engel is French & German, which comprises 32.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (29.7%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (15.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 32.7% |
| British & Irish | 29.7% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 15.2% |
| Other | 22.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Engel
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Engel have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 67.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 66.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 66.40% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 66.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 66.30% |
What Engel haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Engel is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schneider, Weber, Schmidt, Ziegler, Hoffman, Becker, Kramer, Wagner, Meyers, Mueller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Engel surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Engel have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Engel" Surname 47.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Engel" Surname 22.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Engel" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Engel" Surname 15.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Engel?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Engel are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition