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

Heard, 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 Heard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heard in America

Heard is the 1534th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heard surname appeared 23,408 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Heard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heard 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 Heard

The surname Heard is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "herde" or "hierde," which means "herdsman" or "keeper of cattle." This occupation-based surname first appeared in the 12th century, as evidenced by the reference to a "William le Herde" in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Herd" and "Herde." This important historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, served as a survey of landholdings across England, and its inclusion of the name suggests that it was already well-established at that time.

The name Heard was particularly prevalent in the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire, where many families with this surname were concentrated. It is believed that some of these families may have originated from the village of Heard in Gloucestershire, which could have contributed to the development of the surname.

One notable early bearer of the name was William Heard, a wealthy merchant from Somerset who lived in the 14th century. He was known for his involvement in the wool trade and his philanthropic contributions to the city of Bristol.

In the 16th century, the Heard family established themselves as prominent landowners in Devon. Thomas Heard (1516-1589) was a notable member of this family, serving as a Member of Parliament for Totnes and holding the prestigious position of Sheriff of Devon.

The name Heard has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history, including:

1. Sir Isaac Heard (1730-1822), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Massachusetts from 1788 to 1793.
2. James Heard (1799-1875), an American businessman and politician who served as the 14th Governor of Missouri from 1857 to 1861.
3. Sir Gerald Heard (1889-1971), a British writer, philosopher, and influential figure in the human potential movement.
4. Henry Fitzwalter Heard (1858-1944), an English artist and illustrator known for his work in the Art Nouveau style.
5. John Heard (1945-2017), an American actor best known for his roles in films such as "Beaches" and "Home Alone."

While the surname Heard has its roots in England, it has since spread across the globe, with families bearing this name found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heard

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

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

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

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