Hewlett
Derivation of a surname referring to someone who lived near a hedge enclosure.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Hewlett. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hewlett today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hewlett births was 1921 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hewlett. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Hewlett is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Hewletts were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hewlett. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1921
7 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1952 SSA rank
#3,966
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Hewlett: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hewlett from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 20 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hewlett by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hewlett during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hewlett
The name Hewlett is an English given name derived from the Old English words "hēawere" meaning "hewer" and "lētt" meaning "woodland." It was originally an occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a woodcutter or lumberjack in the forests.
Over time, the surname Hewlett transitioned into being used as a first name, particularly in England and other parts of the British Isles. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hewlett date back to the 16th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Hewlett was an Englishman named Hewlett Philipson, who lived in the late 16th century. Records show that he was a landowner and farmer in the county of Northumberland.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Hewlett Stayley was a member of the English Parliament and a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War. He was born in 1610 and died in 1677.
Another notable individual with the name Hewlett was Sir Hewlett Broughton, an English naval officer and explorer who lived from 1762 to 1825. He is best known for his explorations of the Pacific Northwest region of North America and his encounters with various Indigenous communities in that area.
Moving into the 19th century, Hewlett Youll was a British artist and engraver born in 1805. He is remembered for his intricate engravings of architectural subjects and landscapes.
In the early 20th century, Hewlett Thebaud was an American sailor and yacht designer who lived from 1879 to 1972. He is credited with designing several successful racing yachts and pioneering innovations in yacht design.
These examples demonstrate the long history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the given name Hewlett over the centuries, spanning various professions and areas of achievement.
People
Hewlett + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hewlett as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hewlett: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hewlett?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hewlett going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Hewlett a common name?
We classify Hewlett as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 36 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hewlett most popular?
The single biggest year for Hewlett was 1921, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hewlett is about 84 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hewlett in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hewlett a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hewlett in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hewlett still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hewlett in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hewlett can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Hewlett?
Find out how many people share the name Hewlett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.