2000
#5,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,360
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.99
Rare Last name
Hatten
Derived from a place name meaning "hat-shaped hill" in Old English or from a German topographic name for someone living on a hat-shaped hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,244 Americans carry the last name Hatten. That puts it at #6,059 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,893 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hatten 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 Hatten with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 54,893
Census rank
#6,059
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,445 bearers of the surname Hatten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6059th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hatten, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (34.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hatten
The surname Hatten is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 11th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English word "hæth," meaning a heathland or a heath-covered area. Historically, the name was likely associated with individuals who hailed from or lived near a heathland region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hattun" and "Hattuna." This suggests that the name was already established in certain parts of England by the late 11th century.
Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Hatton, Hattin, and Hattan, before settling into its modern form, Hatten. These variations were common during the medieval period, as spelling conventions were not standardized, and names were often recorded phonetically.
In the 13th century, there are records of a Richard de Hattun, a landowner from Herefordshire, England. Another notable figure was John Hatten, a merchant from Bristol, England, who lived in the late 15th century and was involved in trade with the Netherlands.
During the 16th century, the name appears in various records, including the mention of a William Hatten, who was born in 1542 in Gloucestershire, England. He served as a parish clerk and is recorded in church records from that time.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir Christopher Hatten (1588-1672), an English politician and member of Parliament who represented Gloucestershire. He played a role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Royalist cause but later siding with the Parliamentarians.
Another individual of note was John Hatten (1671-1741), a prominent merchant and shipowner from Boston, Massachusetts, in the American colonies. He was involved in the lucrative triangular trade between New England, the West Indies, and England.
In the 18th century, Nathaniel Hatten (1720-1786) was a respected farmer and landowner from Virginia, United States. He played a role in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a member of the Virginia militia.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Hatten throughout history, demonstrating its presence and significance in various regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hatten
Among Census respondents with the surname Hatten, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (34.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hatten 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 Hatten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.4% · 3,073
- Black or African American34.0% · 1,853
- Two or more races4.5% · 247
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 175
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hatten
Hatten 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
#5,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,907
+547 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 2.00
Rank movement Up 63 places
2020
#6,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,445
-462 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Down 210 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,912 | 5,360 | 1.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,849 | 5,907 | 2.00 | +547 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 63 places |
| 2020 | #6,059 | 5,445 | 1.82 | -462 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 210 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 Hatten 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 | #5,849 | #6,059 | -3.6% |
| Count | 5,907 | 5,445 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.00 | 1.82 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hatten bearers went from 5,907 to 5,445 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 210 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,849 to #6,059.
FAQ
Hatten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hatten?
Name Census estimates that about 6,244 living Americans carry the surname Hatten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,893 residents.
How common is Hatten?
Hatten ranks #6,059 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,445 people with the surname Hatten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,244), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hatten.
Has Hatten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hatten went from 5,907 recorded bearers to 5,445. That is a decrease of 462 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,849 to #6,059.
What does the Census say about the background of Hatten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hatten, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (34.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Hatten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.4% (3,073 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hatten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.4%), Black (34.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Hatten (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 Hatten mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "hat-shaped hill" in Old English or from a German topographic name for someone living on a hat-shaped hill. 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 Hatten (1.82 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 Hatten?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.