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

Haygood, 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 Haygood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Haygood in America

Haygood is the 7347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Haygood surname appeared 4,536 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Haygood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Haygood 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 Haygood

The surname Haygood originated in England during the late medieval period, believed to have derived from the Old English words "heg" meaning "hedge" and "god" meaning "good." It likely referred to someone who lived near or maintained a particularly well-kept hedge or enclosure. The name was first recorded in the late 13th century as "Heygod" in tax rolls from the county of Essex.

Some of the earliest documented references to the Haygood surname can be found in parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1563, a John Haygood was recorded as a landowner in the village of Saffron Walden, Essex. The Haygood surname also appears in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, a survey of English households required to swear allegiance to the Protestant religion.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Haygood name was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. Variations in spelling were common, including Heygood, Haygod, and Haygoad. The name's association with rural areas and farming communities suggests that many early Haygoods were involved in agricultural pursuits.

One notable individual bearing the Haygood surname was William Haygood (1625-1704), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from the village of Great Dunmow, Essex. He donated funds to establish a free grammar school in the town, which still operates today as the Dunmow St. Mary's Primary School.

Another historical figure was Robert Haygood (1688-1761), a merchant and politician who served as an alderman and mayor of the town of Colchester, Essex, in the mid-18th century. He was involved in the local wool trade and played a role in the town's governance during a period of economic growth.

In the 19th century, the Haygood surname spread beyond its English roots as some families emigrated to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable individual from this era was Samuel Haygood (1826-1901), an American educator and Methodist minister who served as the president of Emory College (now Emory University) in Georgia from 1875 to 1884.

While the Haygood surname may have evolved in spelling and geographic distribution over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to the rural communities of medieval England, where it likely originated as a descriptive name for someone associated with a well-maintained hedge or enclosure.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Haygood

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

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 Haygood 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 Haygood 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 Haygood was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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