Explore the Family Name Kessel
The meaning of Kessel
1. Cornish: variant of Kessell. 2. German: from Middle High German keʒʒel ‘kettle, cauldron’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of copper cooking vessels, or alternatively a topographic and habitational name, from the same word in the sense ‘(ring-shaped) hollow’. 3. Dutch (mainly Van Kessel): habitational name for someone from any of the places so named in the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg or in the Belgian provinces of Antwerp and Limburg.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kessel in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Kessel increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 7,848th in popularity and rose to 6,777th a decade later, marking a 13.65% upward trend. The number of people carrying the Kessel surname also grew by 27.2%, with the count rising from 3,912 in 2000 to 4,976 in 2010. The proportion of people named Kessel per 100k also saw an increase of 16.55% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,848 | #6,777 | 13.65% |
| Count | 3,912 | 4,976 | 27.2% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.45 | 1.69 | 16.55% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kessel
The data from the Decennial U.S. Census also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the Kessel surname. In 2010, the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, albeit with a decrease of 3.4% from 2000. The percentage of those identifying as Black showed a significant increase, jumping from 0.79% in 2000 to 2.91% in 2010. There was also an upward trend among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. However, the percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races decreased slightly over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.45% | 92.2% | -3.4% |
| Black | 0.79% | 2.91% | 268.35% |
| Hispanic | 1.64% | 2.59% | 57.93% |
| Two or More Races | 1.25% | 1.09% | -12.8% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.64% | 0.86% | 34.38% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.23% | 0.34% | 47.83% |
Kessel 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 Kessel is British & Irish, which comprises 29.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (20.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 29.4% |
| French & German | 25.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 20.1% |
| Other | 25.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Kessel
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 Kessel have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 67.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 67.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 67.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 65.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 65.70% |
What Kessel 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 Kessel 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 E-M5021 and J-M67, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lesser, Cota, Lombardo, Moretti, Martini, Casanova, Galli, Pollak, Lombardi, Eisele.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kessel surname are: H1, U2_3_4_7_8_9, 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 Kessel 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.
"Kessel" Surname 44.1%
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.
"Kessel" Surname 27.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kessel" Surname 13.6%
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.
"Kessel" Surname 14.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kessel?
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 Kessel are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition