The Babel surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 1,013 people carried this name — #24,648 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 294,100 people counted. That is up 2% from 994 in 2000.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the Babel surname
From Polish bąbel.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bąbel» (Polish), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Poland’s population register
599 people named Babel have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 677 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 15 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 540 people named Babel.
19 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 42 départements, most often Vosges.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
131 people named Babel live in Switzerland.
They live in 6 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Geneva.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
Who carried it
People named Babel,
with a public archive behind them.
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Louis Babel 1826–1912 · Catholic priest -
Isaak Babel 1894–1940 · screenwriter -
Charles Babel 1636–1716 · musician
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Nikolaus Babel 1643–1728 · artist
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William Babell 1690–1723 · composer
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Johann Baptist Babel 1716–1799 · sculptor
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Babel.
When the index is not enough
This page says where Babel is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.