2000
#3,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,327
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.83
Uncommon Last name
Healey
Derived from a place name meaning "healing wood" or "healthy wood" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,626 Americans carry the last name Healey. That puts it at #3,443 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,482 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Healey 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 Healey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,482
Census rank
#3,443
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,138 bearers of the surname Healey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3443rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Healey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Healey
The surname Healey is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hæl", meaning "healthy" or "sound". It is a locational surname, referring to a person who lived in a place called Healey or Hea Leah, meaning "high wood" or "high clearing".
The name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hela" and "Helia". One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1170, which mention a "William de Heley".
In the 13th century, the surname was commonly spelled as "Heley" or "Heleye". By the 14th century, the spelling had evolved to "Helay" and "Healey". The variant spellings "Healy" and "Hely" also emerged during this period.
The Healey surname is particularly prevalent in Lancashire, where there are several places named Healey, including Healey in Rochdale and Healey in Burnley. The name is also found in Yorkshire, Cheshire, and other parts of northern England.
Notable individuals with the surname Healey include:
1. Denis Healey (1917-2015), a British Labour politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Defence.
2. John Healey (born 1960), a British Labour politician and Member of Parliament for Wentworth and Dearne.
3. Patrick Healey (1939-2015), an American actor known for his roles in films like "Reservoir Dogs" and "The Fugitive".
4. Mary Healey (1836-1926), an English feminist and advocate for women's suffrage.
5. Michael Healey (born 1966), a Canadian playwright and screenwriter known for works like "The Drawer Boy" and "Mustard".
The Healey surname has a long and rich history, reflecting its origins in the English countryside and its widespread presence across various regions of England. It has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including politicians, actors, and writers, contributing to the cultural tapestry of the English-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Healey
Among Census respondents with the surname Healey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Healey 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 Healey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 9,316
- Two or more races3.2% · 324
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 296
- Black or African American0.9% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 80
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Healey
Healey 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
#3,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,370
+43 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 3.52
Rank movement Down 259 places
2020
#3,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,138
-232 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 3.39
Rank movement Up 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,186 | 10,327 | 3.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,445 | 10,370 | 3.52 | +43 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 259 places |
| 2020 | #3,443 | 10,138 | 3.39 | -232 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 2 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 Healey 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 | #3,445 | #3,443 | 0.1% |
| Count | 10,370 | 10,138 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.52 | 3.39 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Healey bearers went from 10,370 to 10,138 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,445 to #3,443.
FAQ
Healey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Healey?
Name Census estimates that about 11,626 living Americans carry the surname Healey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,482 residents.
How common is Healey?
Healey ranks #3,443 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,138 people with the surname Healey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,626), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Healey.
Has Healey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Healey went from 10,370 recorded bearers to 10,138. That is a decrease of 232 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,445 to #3,443.
What does the Census say about the background of Healey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Healey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Healey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (9,316 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Healey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Healey (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 Healey mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "healing wood" or "healthy wood" in Old English. 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 Healey (3.39 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 have the surname Healey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.