2000
#6,980
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,428
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.64
Rare Last name
Hallmark
A surname referring to someone who lived near a boundary stone or important landmark.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,653 Americans carry the last name Hallmark. That puts it at #7,837 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,663 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hallmark 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 Hallmark with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,663
Census rank
#7,837
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,058 bearers of the surname Hallmark in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7837th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hallmark, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hallmark
The surname Hallmark is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "heal" meaning "nook" or "remote place" and "mearc" meaning "boundary" or "mark." It was likely used to describe someone who lived near a boundary or marker, possibly in a secluded area.
The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being William de la Hallemerk in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1293. Other early spellings include Halmark, Halemarke, and Hallemerke.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls for Nottinghamshire in 1327, with a reference to a Thomas de Hallemerk. The surname Hallmark was also found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332, indicating its presence in different parts of England during this period.
One of the notable figures with this surname was Sir John Hallmark (c. 1520-1585), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was a prominent figure in the City of London and served as an alderman and sheriff.
Another significant individual was Robert Hallmark (1589-1659), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, from 1644 to 1659. He was known for his involvement in the religious and political debates of the time.
In the 18th century, William Hallmark (1736-1800) was a notable English engraver and printmaker, known for his landscapes and architectural engravings. He was a member of the Society of Artists and exhibited his works regularly.
The 19th century saw the birth of Charles Hallmark (1823-1897), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Andrew in Stoke Newington.
One of the more recent individuals with this surname was Harold Hallmark (1899-1970), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded Hallmark Cards, one of the largest greeting card companies in the world. Although not directly related to the English origins of the name, his company's success brought widespread recognition to the Hallmark surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hallmark
Among Census respondents with the surname Hallmark, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hallmark 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 Hallmark surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 3,586
- Two or more races5.3% · 217
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 143
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 33
- Black or African American0.5% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hallmark
Hallmark 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
#7,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,426
-2 bearers (-0.0%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 537 places
2020
#7,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,058
-368 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,980 | 4,428 | 1.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,517 | 4,426 | 1.50 | -2 bearers (-0.0%) | Down 537 places |
| 2020 | #7,837 | 4,058 | 1.36 | -368 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 320 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 Hallmark 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 | #7,517 | #7,837 | -4.3% |
| Count | 4,426 | 4,058 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.36 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hallmark bearers went from 4,426 to 4,058 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 320 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,517 to #7,837.
FAQ
Hallmark surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hallmark?
Name Census estimates that about 4,653 living Americans carry the surname Hallmark. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,663 residents.
How common is Hallmark?
Hallmark ranks #7,837 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,058 people with the surname Hallmark. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,653), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Hallmark.
Has Hallmark become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hallmark went from 4,426 recorded bearers to 4,058. That is a decrease of 368 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,517 to #7,837.
What does the Census say about the background of Hallmark?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hallmark, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Hallmark in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (3,586 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hallmark appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Hallmark (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 Hallmark mean?
A surname referring to someone who lived near a boundary stone or important landmark. 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 Hallmark (1.36 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 Hallmark?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.