Find out how popular the last name Hairston is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hairston.

Hairston, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hairston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hairston in America

Hairston is the 2260th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hairston surname appeared 16,090 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Hairston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hairston to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hairston

The surname Hairston is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hær" meaning hair and "stan" meaning stone or rock, possibly referring to a place name or a descriptive nickname for someone with a distinctive hairstyle or hair color.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Cheshire, England, where a William Hairston was mentioned in 1592. Records also show a John Hairston residing in Lancashire in the early 1600s.

The Hairston name gained prominence in the American colonies, particularly in Virginia, where the family established itself as prominent landowners and planters. One of the earliest and most notable figures was Samuel Hairston, born in 1728, who settled in Henry County, Virginia, and acquired vast tracts of land through land grants and purchases.

Another prominent member of the Hairston family was Peter Hairston, born in 1776, who served as a colonel in the Virginia militia during the War of 1812. He was a successful planter and businessman, owning several plantations and mills in Virginia and North Carolina.

In the 19th century, the Hairston family continued to play a significant role in the American South. George Hairston, born in 1807, was a prominent planter and slave owner in Virginia and North Carolina, known for his involvement in the iron industry and the construction of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad.

The Hairston name can also be found in other parts of the world, such as Australia and South Africa, where descendants of the English and American Hairstons settled and established themselves.

Notable individuals with the surname Hairston include Jaki Hairston, an American film director and screenwriter born in 1915, and Cedric Hairston, an American professional basketball player born in 1971. Additionally, Al Hairston, born in 1920, was a prominent American jazz pianist and composer, known for his work with Count Basie and Duke Ellington.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hairston

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hairston.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hairston was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hairston has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hairston was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hairston, please contact us.

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