2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Hedvat
Persian surname meaning "one who causes terror or annihilation".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Hedvat. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hedvat 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Hedvat in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedvat, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hedvat
The surname HEDVAT is believed to have originated in the region of Persia, now known as Iran, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Persian word "hedayat," which means "guidance" or "direction." The name was likely given to individuals who served as guides or leaders within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HEDVAT surname can be found in the chronicles of the Safavid Dynasty, which ruled Persia from the 16th to the 18th century. The name appears in several historical texts and documents from this period, indicating that it was already well-established by that time.
During the Safavid era, a prominent figure named Mirza Abdul Hedvat (1560-1628) gained recognition as a talented calligrapher and scholar. His works were highly esteemed and can be found in various libraries and collections throughout the region.
Another notable bearer of the HEDVAT name was Sayed Mohammad Hedvat (1710-1782), a renowned poet and mystic from the city of Shiraz. His poetic works, which often explored themes of spirituality and the divine, were widely celebrated during his lifetime and continue to be studied and appreciated by scholars of Persian literature.
In the 19th century, a prominent merchant and philanthropist named Haji Hassan Hedvat (1820-1892) made significant contributions to the city of Isfahan. He funded the construction of several public buildings, including a caravanserai (a roadside inn) and a bathhouse, which still bear his name.
Moving forward into the 20th century, one of the most renowned figures with the HEDVAT surname was Sadegh Hedvat (1903-1951), a celebrated Iranian writer and intellectual. His novels and short stories, which often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class, had a profound impact on modern Persian literature.
It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as HEDAYAT or HIDAYAT, may also be encountered, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity within the region. Additionally, the name may have been adopted or adapted by individuals from different ethnic or religious backgrounds over the centuries, further contributing to its rich and varied history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hedvat
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedvat, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hedvat 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 Hedvat surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hedvat
Hedvat appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,986 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 Hedvat 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 | #158,432 | #149,446 | 5.7% |
| Count | 102 | 110 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hedvat bearers went from 102 to 110 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #149,446.
FAQ
Hedvat surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hedvat?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Hedvat. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Hedvat?
Hedvat ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Hedvat. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hedvat.
Has Hedvat become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hedvat went from 102 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Hedvat?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedvat, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Hedvat in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hedvat appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Hedvat (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 Hedvat mean?
Persian surname meaning "one who causes terror or annihilation". 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 Hedvat (0.04 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 Hedvat?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.