2000
#16,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,596
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Haig
A Scottish surname derived from the name of a village near Kelso, Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,552 Americans carry the last name Haig. That puts it at #19,901 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 220,847 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haig surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Haig with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.6K
1 in 220,847
Census rank
#19,901
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,353 bearers of the surname Haig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19901st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haig, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haig
The surname Haig has its origins in Scotland, and is believed to have emerged in the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Celtic word "haugh," meaning a meadow or low-lying area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Heyg" and "Hage" in these rolls.
The Haig surname is also associated with the place name Haig, a former estate located in the Scottish Borders region. This estate was once owned by the prominent Haig family, who were influential landowners and political figures in the area.
In the 16th century, the Haigs of Bemersyde were a notable branch of the family. Sir David Haig of Bemersyde (1535-1621) was a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served under King James VI of Scotland and later King James I of England.
Perhaps the most famous bearer of the Haig surname was Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (1861-1928). He was a senior officer in the British Army and played a significant role as the commander of the British Expeditionary Force during the First World War.
Other notable individuals with the surname Haig include:
1. Alexander Haig (1924-2010), an American politician and former United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan.
2. David Haig (born 1957), a British actor known for his roles in films such as "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "The Thin Red Line."
3. Jane Haig (1923-1997), a British artist and sculptor who was known for her abstract works.
4. Robert Haig (1916-2002), a Scottish historian and author who wrote extensively about Scottish history and culture.
5. William Haig (1907-1999), a Canadian diplomat and former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations.
The Haig surname has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds, including military figures, politicians, artists, and scholars. Its Scottish origins and associations with historical estates and events have contributed to its enduring presence throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haig
Among Census respondents with the surname Haig, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Haig bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Haig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 1,160
- Black or African American4.2% · 57
- Two or more races4.1% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haig
Haig appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#17,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,566
-30 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 1,302 places
2020
#19,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,353
-213 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 2,037 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,562 | 1,596 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,864 | 1,566 | 0.53 | -30 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 1,302 places |
| 2020 | #19,901 | 1,353 | 0.45 | -213 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 2,037 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Haig surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,864 | #19,901 | -11.4% |
| Count | 1,566 | 1,353 | -13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.53 | 0.45 | -14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haig bearers went from 1,566 to 1,353 (-13.6% change). The surname moved down 2,037 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,864 to #19,901.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Haig
FAQ
Haig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haig?
Name Census estimates that about 1,552 living Americans carry the surname Haig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 220,847 residents.
How common is Haig?
Haig ranks #19,901 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,353 people with the surname Haig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,552), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Haig.
Has Haig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haig went from 1,566 recorded bearers to 1,353. That is a decrease of 213 (-13.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,864 to #19,901.
What does the Census say about the background of Haig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haig, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Haig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (1,160 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Black (4.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Haig (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Haig mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the name of a village near Kelso, Scotland. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Haig (0.45 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Haig?
See how many people are called Haig on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.