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

Hea, 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 Hea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hea in America

Hea is the 115034th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hea surname appeared 152 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hea 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 Hea

The surname HEA has its roots in Ireland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic word "aith," meaning a "ford" or a shallow area where a river can be crossed. This suggests that the name may have been related to a location near a ford or a person who lived near one.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a notable figure named Domhnall O'Hea, who was a chief of the Cineal Enda clan in County Galway, Ireland.

In the 17th century, the name HEA appeared in various records and documents from counties such as Galway, Mayo, and Sligo in the west of Ireland. Some variations of the spelling included Hea, Hee, and Hee-a, reflecting the fluid nature of surnames during that time.

One notable figure bearing the HEA surname was Edmond Hea, born in County Galway in the late 16th century. He was a prominent Irish scholar and poet, known for his works in the Irish language. His works provide valuable insights into the culture and traditions of Ireland during that period.

Another significant figure was Pádraig Ó hÉidhe, also known as Patrick Hea, born in County Sligo in the early 17th century. He was a Franciscan friar and historian who wrote extensively about the Irish language and the history of his order in Ireland.

In the 18th century, the name HEA was associated with the town of Ballinrobe in County Mayo, where there was a prominent family of landowners and merchants. One notable member was Michael Hea, born in 1745, who was a successful businessman and landowner in the region.

Throughout the 19th century, the HEA surname continued to be found in various Irish records, with individuals such as John Hea, born in County Galway in 1812, and Mary Hea, born in County Mayo in 1845, appearing in historical documents.

It's worth noting that while the name HEA has strong Irish roots, it may have spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration over the centuries. However, the core of its historical presence and origin lies in the western counties of Ireland, where it has been closely tied to the region's rich cultural and linguistic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hea

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!