2000
#36,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 578
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Rare Last name
Hailu
An Ethiopian surname referring to a person of greatness or power.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,508 Americans carry the last name Hailu. That puts it at #13,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,664 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hailu 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 Hailu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 136,664
Census rank
#13,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,187 bearers of the surname Hailu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hailu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and White (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hailu
The surname "HAILU" is of Ethiopian origin and dates back several centuries. It is believed to have originated in the northern highlands of the country, particularly in the regions of Tigray and Amhara.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Kebra Nagast, a 14th-century literary work that chronicles the lineage of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia. The name "HAILU" is mentioned as a variant spelling of "Haylu," which means "power" or "might" in the Semitic languages of the region.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name became more prominent as several individuals bearing the surname "HAILU" held positions of authority within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Notable figures include Abuna Hailu, a metropolitan bishop who lived in the late 17th century and was known for his extensive writings on religious matters.
As the Ethiopian Empire expanded and consolidated its power in the 19th century, the surname "HAILU" began to appear in various administrative records and chronicles. One of the most renowned figures with this name was Dejazmatch Hailu Yohannes, a prominent military leader and governor who played a crucial role in the defense of Ethiopia against the Italian invasion in the late 1800s.
Another prominent individual was Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot, a nobleman and military commander who served under Emperor Menelik II in the late 19th century. He was instrumental in the successful Campaign of Adwa, which secured Ethiopia's independence from Italian colonization.
In the 20th century, the name "HAILU" continued to be associated with influential figures in Ethiopian society. Lij Hailu Belew Giorgis, born in 1892, was a renowned scholar, linguist, and educator who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Ethiopian languages and literature.
It is worth noting that the name "HAILU" is also found in various forms and spellings, such as "Haylu," "Hayelom," and "Haylemariam," reflecting the diversity of languages and dialects within Ethiopia. While the specific origins and meanings may vary slightly, the name carries a sense of strength, power, and reverence across the country's cultural and linguistic landscapes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hailu
Among Census respondents with the surname Hailu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and White (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hailu 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 Hailu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.0% · 2,078
- Two or more races2.2% · 49
- White1.8% · 40
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hailu
Hailu 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
#22,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,164
+586 bearers (+101.4%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 14,348 places
2020
#13,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,187
+1,023 bearers (+87.9%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 8,849 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,531 | 578 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,183 | 1,164 | 0.39 | +586 bearers (+101.4%) | Up 14,348 places |
| 2020 | #13,334 | 2,187 | 0.73 | +1,023 bearers (+87.9%) | Up 8,849 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 Hailu 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 | #22,183 | #13,334 | 39.9% |
| Count | 1,164 | 2,187 | 87.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.73 | 87.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hailu bearers went from 1,164 to 2,187 (+87.9% change). The surname moved up 8,849 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,183 to #13,334.
FAQ
Hailu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hailu?
Name Census estimates that about 2,508 living Americans carry the surname Hailu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,664 residents.
How common is Hailu?
Hailu ranks #13,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,187 people with the surname Hailu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,508), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hailu.
Has Hailu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hailu went from 1,164 recorded bearers to 2,187. That is an increase of 1,023 (+87.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,183 to #13,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Hailu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hailu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and White (1.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hailu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (2,078 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hailu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (95.0%), Two or More Races (2.2%), White (1.8%). 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 Hailu (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 Hailu mean?
An Ethiopian surname referring to a person of greatness or power. 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 Hailu (0.73 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 many people are called Hailu?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Hailu on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.