2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Headdy
A name derived from a nickname meaning "heady" or headstrong.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Headdy. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Headdy 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Headdy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Headdy, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Headdy
The surname Headdy originated in England during the late 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words 'hēafod' meaning 'head' and 'hȳ' meaning 'ridge' or 'hill'. This suggests the name initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or ridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292, where it appears as 'Heddy'. Another early mention is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it is spelled 'Heddi'.
During the 14th century, the name appears to have spread across various regions of England, with variants like 'Heddy', 'Heddie', and 'Heddye' appearing in records from counties such as Somerset, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire.
In the 16th century, the name took on the more modern spelling of 'Headdy', as evidenced by the birth record of one William Headdy in the parish of St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, London, in 1587.
Notable individuals bearing the Headdy surname include Sir John Headdy (1550-1628), a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. Another was Robert Headdy (1670-1742), a renowned clockmaker from Wigan, Lancashire, whose work is still highly prized by collectors.
In the 18th century, the name appears in the records of several British colonies, with individuals like Thomas Headdy (1725-1803), a plantation owner in Virginia, and James Headdy (1745-1825), a merchant and ship owner based in Barbados.
Other notable figures include Mary Headdy (1820-1892), a pioneering educator and founder of one of the first schools for girls in Yorkshire, and Sir Henry Headdy (1855-1927), a British diplomat who served as ambassador to several countries, including Russia and Spain.
While the name Headdy is not particularly widespread today, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of British surnames, with its origins tracing back to the rural landscapes of medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Headdy
Among Census respondents with the surname Headdy, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Headdy 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 Headdy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Headdy
Headdy appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 730 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 Headdy 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 | #149,395 | #148,665 | 0.5% |
| Count | 110 | 111 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Headdy bearers went from 110 to 111 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 730 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #148,665.
FAQ
Headdy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Headdy?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Headdy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Headdy?
Headdy ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Headdy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Headdy.
Has Headdy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Headdy went from 110 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Headdy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Headdy, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Headdy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Headdy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Headdy (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 Headdy mean?
A name derived from a nickname meaning "heady" or headstrong. 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 Headdy (0.04 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 common is the surname Headdy?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Headdy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.