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

Hayward, 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 Hayward surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hayward in America

Hayward is the 2327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hayward surname appeared 15,665 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 Hayward.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hayward 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 Hayward

The surname Hayward originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "haye" meaning hedge and "weard" meaning guard or keeper. The name was initially given to someone who was responsible for guarding or maintaining hedges or enclosures.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Hayward can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Heywarde." This document was a survey of land ownership and individuals' occupations during the reign of King Edward I.

Another early reference to the name Hayward is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a "Johannes Haywarde." These rolls were tax records that provided valuable information about the population and their professions during that era.

In the 14th century, the surname Hayward appeared in various forms, such as "Heyward," "Haywarde," and "Haywerd," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

One notable historical figure with the surname Hayward was Sir John Hayward (c. 1560-1627), an English historian and author who wrote "The Life and Raigne of King Edward the Sixth." He was born in Felixstowe, Suffolk, and served as a Member of Parliament.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Hayward (c. 1567-1645), an English clergyman and writer. He was the rector of St. Giles-in-the-Fields in London and wrote several religious works, including "The Banquet of Celestial Doctrine."

In the 17th century, the surname Hayward was associated with several place names, such as Hayward's Field in Staffordshire and Hayward's Heath in Sussex. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname who owned or were associated with those locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hayward in America can be found in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635, where a William Hayward is listed as a freeman.

Another notable figure was Giles Hayward (c. 1617-1668), an English-born settler in Virginia who served as a member of the House of Burgesses and was involved in the colony's tobacco trade.

In the 19th century, John Hayward (1781-1849) was a renowned English author and biographer who wrote works such as "The Book of Dignities" and "Illustrations of Butlers Lives of the Saints."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hayward

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

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

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

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