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

Heathcote, 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 Heathcote surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heathcote in America

Heathcote is the 32710th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heathcote surname appeared 702 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 Heathcote.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heathcote 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 Heathcote

The surname Heathcote is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "hæth" meaning a heathland or shrubby wasteland, and "cot" meaning a cottage or dwelling. It is a locational name given to individuals who resided near or at a cottage on a heath.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Hetcota" and refers to a location in Derbyshire. This suggests the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as "Heckhcote" and "Hethcote" in various county records across England, indicating its widespread use and local variations in spelling.

Notable early bearers of the name include Sir Gilbert Heathcote (1551-1633), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1633. Another prominent figure was Samuel Heathcote (1672-1758), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.

During the 17th century, the Heathcote family established themselves as landowners in Rutland, with Sir Gilbert Heathcote (1652-1733) acquiring the Normanton estate and serving as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies.

In the 18th century, Ralph Heathcote (1721-1795) was a prominent English clergyman and author, best known for his work "The Irenarch, or Justice of the Peace's Manual."

The 19th century saw the birth of Sir William Heathcote (1801-1881), a British diplomat and Member of Parliament, who served as the Governor of the British North Borneo Company.

Throughout its history, the Heathcote surname has been associated with various locations in England, including villages and hamlets bearing the name, such as Heathcote in Leicestershire and Heathcote near Warwick.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heathcote

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

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

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

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