2000
#8,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,644
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Hedden
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "heather-covered valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,109 Americans carry the last name Hedden. That puts it at #8,781 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,416 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hedden 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 Hedden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,416
Census rank
#8,781
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,583 bearers of the surname Hedden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8781st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedden, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hedden
The surname Hedden has its origins in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "heden," meaning a person who lived in a heathland or uncultivated area. This name was likely given to individuals who resided in such areas, which were abundant in the English countryside during that period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hedden name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1208, where a certain Radulfus de Hedene is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the name's existence and its association with the region of Yorkshire.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Hedon, Heddon, and Hedun, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that era. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William de Hedon, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379 list a John de Heddon.
Throughout the centuries, the Hedden name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Sir William Hedden, born in 1522, who served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent bearer of the name was John Hedden, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Lincolnshire in the late 16th century.
The Hedden surname also has ties to various place names in England. For instance, the village of Heddon-on-the-Wall in Northumberland may have derived its name from the same Old English word that gave rise to the surname. Similarly, the town of Hedon in East Yorkshire could have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in that region.
Other notable individuals with the Hedden surname include:
1. Thomas Hedden (1670-1742), a prominent farmer and landowner in colonial New Jersey.
2. Mary Hedden (1829-1899), an American author and educator from Ohio.
3. William Hedden (1788-1846), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
4. Elizabeth Hedden (1792-1867), an English painter known for her landscapes and portraits.
5. John Hedden (1835-1912), a Canadian politician and businessman from Ontario.
While the Hedden surname may have evolved and spread to different parts of the world over time, its roots can be traced back to the heathlands of medieval England, where it originated as a descriptive name for those who inhabited such areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hedden
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedden, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Hedden 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 Hedden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 3,336
- Two or more races3.0% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hedden
Hedden 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
#8,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,704
+60 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 494 places
2020
#8,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,583
-121 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,350 | 3,644 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,844 | 3,704 | 1.26 | +60 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 494 places |
| 2020 | #8,781 | 3,583 | 1.20 | -121 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 63 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 Hedden 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 | #8,844 | #8,781 | 0.7% |
| Count | 3,704 | 3,583 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.20 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hedden bearers went from 3,704 to 3,583 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,844 to #8,781.
FAQ
Hedden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hedden?
Name Census estimates that about 4,109 living Americans carry the surname Hedden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,416 residents.
How common is Hedden?
Hedden ranks #8,781 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,583 people with the surname Hedden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,109), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hedden.
Has Hedden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hedden went from 3,704 recorded bearers to 3,583. That is a decrease of 121 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,844 to #8,781.
What does the Census say about the background of Hedden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedden, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Hedden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (3,336 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hedden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Hedden (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 Hedden mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "heather-covered valley." 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 Hedden (1.20 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 share the surname Hedden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.