The Hessel surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 1,042 people carried this name — #24,137 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 285,700 people counted. That is down 15% from 1,233 in 2000.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 107 people named Hessel.
12 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 14 départements, most often Nord.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 76 people named Hessel live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Santa Fe.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 75 people named Hessel live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in West Flanders.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
34 people named Hessel live in Switzerland.
They live in 5 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in St. Gallen.
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.
In the Nordic population registers
444 people named Hessel is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
Who carried it
People named Hessel,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Phoebe Hessel 1713–1821 · military personnel -
Johann F. C. Hessel 1796–1872 · engineer -
Johann F. C. Hessel 1796–1872 · engineer
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Johann F. C. Hessel 1796–1872 · engineer
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Jos Hessel 1859–1942 · art dealer -
Johann Adam Hessel 1712–1785 · writer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Hessel.
- Herz 1,612 · U.S. census
- Herzberg 1,939 · U.S. census
- Herzig 1,426 · U.S. census
- Herzog 11,146 · U.S. census
- Hess 59,486 · U.S. census
- Hesse 6,084 · U.S. census
- Hettich 732 · U.S. census
- Hettinger 3,111 · U.S. census
- Hettler 382 · U.S. census
- Hetz 554 · U.S. census
- Hetzel 3,607 · U.S. census
- Heu 796 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Hessel 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.