2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Healing
An English occupational surname referring to a practitioner of medicinal treatments or cures.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Healing. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Healing 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 Healing with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Healing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Healing, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (15.2%) and Hispanic (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Healing
The surname "HEALING" originates from England in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hælan," which means "to heal" or "to cure." The name was likely initially given as a descriptive name to someone who worked as a healer or a physician.
In medieval times, the name was often spelled as "Helying" or "Helyng." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where a person named Robert Helyng is mentioned.
The surname "HEALING" may also have connections to certain place names in England. For example, there is a village called Healing in Lincolnshire, which could have influenced the surname's development. Additionally, the name may be related to the Healing Well, a historical spring in Bath, Somerset, known for its supposed healing properties.
One notable bearer of the surname "HEALING" was Richard Healing (c. 1570-1635), an English clergyman and author who served as the Dean of Rochester Cathedral. Another was William Healing (1739-1821), a prominent English engraver and artist who worked on several notable publications, including the "Biographical Mirrour" and "The Antiquities of Windsor."
In the 16th century, a family with the surname "HEALING" was recorded in the parish records of Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire. One member of this family, John Healing (1554-1625), was a prominent landowner and served as a churchwarden in the local parish church.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Healing (1773-1853), a British naval officer who participated in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars. He was commended for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The surname "HEALING" has also been associated with various occupations throughout history, including medicine, clergy, and craftsmanship. While not as widespread as some other English surnames, it has left a notable mark on various historical records and accounts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Healing
Among Census respondents with the surname Healing, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (15.2%) and Hispanic (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Healing 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 Healing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 82
- American Indian and Alaska Native15.2% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 7
- Two or more races5.4% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Healing
Healing 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
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+11 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 11,758 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 Healing 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 | #159,712 | #147,954 | 7.4% |
| Count | 101 | 112 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Healing bearers went from 101 to 112 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 11,758 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #147,954.
FAQ
Healing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Healing?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Healing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Healing?
Healing ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Healing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Healing.
Has Healing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Healing went from 101 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 11 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Healing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Healing, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (15.2%) and Hispanic (6.3%). 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 Healing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Healing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (15.2%), Hispanic (6.3%). 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 Healing (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 Healing mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a practitioner of medicinal treatments or cures. 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 Healing (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 many people have the surname Healing?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.