2000
#9,442
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Hedgepeth
Derived from a place name meaning "path by a hedge" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,438 Americans carry the last name Hedgepeth. That puts it at #10,228 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,696 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hedgepeth 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.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,696
Census rank
#10,228
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,998 bearers of the surname Hedgepeth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10228th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedgepeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.5%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hedgepeth
The surname Hedgepeth has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from an Old English word "hedge," which referred to a fence or boundary, and "path," meaning a track or way. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a hedged path or a pathway surrounded by hedges.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hedgepath." This entry likely refers to a location or settlement rather than an individual, indicating that the name was already in use as a place name during the Norman conquest of England.
In the 13th century, records show variations of the name, such as "Hedgepatte" and "Hegepeth," further solidifying its connection to the Old English roots. These early spellings also hint at the possible regional dialects and pronunciations that contributed to the evolution of the name over time.
One notable individual bearing the name Hedgepeth was Sir John Hedgepeth, a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1782 and died in 1856. His distinguished service earned him recognition and honors from the British Crown.
Another historical figure with this surname was William Hedgepeth, a prominent merchant and landowner in the 16th century. Records indicate that he owned substantial properties in the county of Norfolk, England, and was involved in the wool trade, which was a significant industry at the time.
In the 17th century, the Hedgepeth name appeared in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. This suggests that the name had spread and established itself in different regions of the country by that point.
One intriguing reference to the name can be found in the works of the famous English playwright, William Shakespeare. In his play "Henry VI, Part 2," a character named Hedgepeth is mentioned, though it is unclear whether Shakespeare was referring to a specific individual or using the name as a fictional character.
Despite its English origins, the Hedgepeth name has since spread to other parts of the world, likely through migration and exploration. However, its deep-rooted history and connection to the English landscape and language remain an integral part of its fascinating etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hedgepeth
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedgepeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.5%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hedgepeth 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 Hedgepeth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.5% · 1,605
- Black or African American33.9% · 1,016
- Two or more races5.5% · 164
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.0% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hedgepeth
Hedgepeth 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
#9,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,327
+168 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 299 places
2020
#10,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,998
-329 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 487 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,442 | 3,159 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,741 | 3,327 | 1.13 | +168 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 299 places |
| 2020 | #10,228 | 2,998 | 1.00 | -329 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 487 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 Hedgepeth 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 | #9,741 | #10,228 | -5.0% |
| Count | 3,327 | 2,998 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.00 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hedgepeth bearers went from 3,327 to 2,998 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 487 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,741 to #10,228.
FAQ
Hedgepeth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hedgepeth?
Name Census estimates that about 3,438 living Americans carry the surname Hedgepeth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,696 residents.
How common is Hedgepeth?
Hedgepeth ranks #10,228 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,998 people with the surname Hedgepeth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,438), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Hedgepeth.
Has Hedgepeth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hedgepeth went from 3,327 recorded bearers to 2,998. That is a decrease of 329 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,741 to #10,228.
What does the Census say about the background of Hedgepeth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedgepeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.5%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Hedgepeth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.5% (1,605 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hedgepeth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.5%), Black (33.9%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Hedgepeth (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 Hedgepeth mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "path by a hedge" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence. 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 Hedgepeth (1.00 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 Hedgepeth?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.