2000
#8,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,719
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Halcomb
Derived from a place name meaning "nook of land in a halh," from Old English halh "nook" and cumb "valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,969 Americans carry the last name Halcomb. That puts it at #9,068 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,358 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Halcomb 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.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,358
Census rank
#9,068
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,461 bearers of the surname Halcomb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9068th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Halcomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Halcomb
The surname Halcomb originated in England, and its earliest recorded appearance dates back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "healh," meaning a nook or remote valley, and "cumb," which signifies a deep valley or hollow. It is believed to be a locational surname, referring to individuals who hailed from a place called Halcomb or a similar variation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where it appears as Halcumbe. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname Halcomb surfaced in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it was spelled as Halcombe. This variation in spelling was common during that period, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet firmly established.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Halcomb throughout history include John Halcomb, a yeoman farmer from Gloucestershire who lived in the late 16th century. Records indicate that he was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership in 1589.
Another prominent figure was William Halcomb, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the 17th century. He was involved in the lucrative trade between England and the West Indies, and his name appears in several shipping records from the 1640s.
In the 18th century, Samuel Halcomb, a wealthy landowner from Wiltshire, made a significant contribution to the construction of a local church. A plaque commemorating his generosity can still be found in the church's vestibule, dated 1732.
During the same period, Mary Halcomb, born in 1745 in Oxfordshire, gained recognition as a skilled lace-maker. Her intricate lace designs were highly sought after by the gentry and nobility of the time.
In the 19th century, Thomas Halcomb, a renowned architect from Somerset, left his mark on several notable buildings in the region. His most famous work was the design of the county courthouse in Taunton, completed in 1835.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname Halcomb, a name deeply rooted in the English countryside and its rich linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Halcomb
Among Census respondents with the surname Halcomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Halcomb 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 Halcomb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 3,001
- Black or African American4.5% · 157
- Two or more races4.0% · 140
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 114
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Halcomb
Halcomb 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
#8,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,883
+164 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 281 places
2020
#9,068
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,461
-422 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 579 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,208 | 3,719 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,489 | 3,883 | 1.32 | +164 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 281 places |
| 2020 | #9,068 | 3,461 | 1.16 | -422 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 579 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 Halcomb 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 | #8,489 | #9,068 | -6.8% |
| Count | 3,883 | 3,461 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.16 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Halcomb bearers went from 3,883 to 3,461 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 579 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,489 to #9,068.
FAQ
Halcomb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Halcomb?
Name Census estimates that about 3,969 living Americans carry the surname Halcomb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,358 residents.
How common is Halcomb?
Halcomb ranks #9,068 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,461 people with the surname Halcomb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,969), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Halcomb.
Has Halcomb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Halcomb went from 3,883 recorded bearers to 3,461. That is a decrease of 422 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,489 to #9,068.
What does the Census say about the background of Halcomb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Halcomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Halcomb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (3,001 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Halcomb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Black (4.5%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Halcomb (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 Halcomb mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "nook of land in a halh," from Old English halh "nook" and cumb "valley." 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 Halcomb (1.16 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 share the surname Halcomb?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.