2000
#14,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,961
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Hedman
A Swedish toponymic surname referring to someone living near or at the end of a heath or moor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,155 Americans carry the last name Hedman. That puts it at #15,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hedman 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 Hedman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 159,051
Census rank
#15,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,879 bearers of the surname Hedman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hedman
The surname HEDMAN originated in Sweden during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "hedhr," which means "honor" or "esteem." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 15th century in the regions around Stockholm and Uppsala.
In the 16th century, a notable figure by the name of Erik Hedman was mentioned in the town records of Västerås, a city located in central Sweden. He was a respected merchant and guild member who played a significant role in the local trade industry during that era.
As the name spread across Sweden, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Hedmann, Hedhman, and Heedman. These variations were often due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during the time.
One of the earliest documented references to the HEDMAN surname can be found in the parish records of Norrköping, a city in eastern Sweden, dating back to the early 17th century. These records mention a family by the name of Hedman who were landowners and farmers in the area.
In the 18th century, a renowned Swedish botanist named Pehr Hedman (1719-1789) made significant contributions to the study of flora in his native country. He is credited with cataloging and describing numerous plant species found in the Swedish landscape.
During the 19th century, the HEDMAN surname gained further prominence with the birth of Johan Edvard Hedman (1828-1898), a Swedish architect who designed several notable buildings in Stockholm, including the Stockholm City Hall and the Engelbrekt Church.
Another notable figure with the HEDMAN surname was Nils Hedman (1865-1935), a Swedish politician and trade unionist who played a crucial role in the labor movement of the early 20th century. He served as a member of the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) and advocated for workers' rights and social reforms.
Over the centuries, the HEDMAN surname has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from farmers and merchants to scientists and artists. While its origins can be traced back to Sweden, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and family lineages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hedman
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Hedman 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 Hedman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 1,598
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 109
- Black or African American3.6% · 67
- Two or more races3.5% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hedman
Hedman 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
#14,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,067
+106 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 369 places
2020
#15,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,879
-188 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 623 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,084 | 1,961 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,453 | 2,067 | 0.70 | +106 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 369 places |
| 2020 | #15,076 | 1,879 | 0.63 | -188 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 623 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 Hedman 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 | #14,453 | #15,076 | -4.3% |
| Count | 2,067 | 1,879 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.63 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hedman bearers went from 2,067 to 1,879 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 623 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,453 to #15,076.
FAQ
Hedman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hedman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,155 living Americans carry the surname Hedman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,051 residents.
How common is Hedman?
Hedman ranks #15,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,879 people with the surname Hedman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,155), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Hedman.
Has Hedman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hedman went from 2,067 recorded bearers to 1,879. That is a decrease of 188 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,453 to #15,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Hedman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (3.6%). 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 Hedman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (1,598 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hedman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Hispanic (5.8%), Black (3.6%). 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 Hedman (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 Hedman mean?
A Swedish toponymic surname referring to someone living near or at the end of a heath or moor. 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 Hedman (0.63 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 are called Hedman?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Hedman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.