2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hedwall
A Swedish surname, likely derived from a place name related to a hedge or fenced enclosure.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Hedwall. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hedwall 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Hedwall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedwall, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hedwall
The surname Hedwall originates from Sweden and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Swedish word "hed," meaning heath or moor, and the word "vall," meaning an enclosed area or wall. Together, the name likely referred to a person who lived near an enclosed heath or moorland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hedwall surname can be found in the Swedish parish records of Östergötland County in the late 1500s. It is likely that the name was initially used to identify individuals from a specific location or estate bearing a similar place name.
In the 17th century, the Hedwall name appeared in various Swedish military records, suggesting that some individuals with this surname may have served in the Swedish armed forces during this period.
A notable bearer of the Hedwall name was Johan Hedwall, a Swedish military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He was born in 1595 and died in 1663.
Another individual of historical significance was Anna Hedwall, a Swedish writer and feminist who lived from 1764 to 1836. She is remembered for her contributions to the early women's rights movement in Sweden.
In the late 18th century, the Hedwall surname appeared in records from the Swedish province of Dalarna, indicating that the name had spread to different regions of the country.
Carl Johan Hedwall, a Swedish sculptor and artist, was born in 1809 and died in 1888. His works can be found in several museums and public spaces in Sweden.
Gustaf Hedwall, a Swedish politician and member of the Riksdag (Swedish parliament), lived from 1861 to 1932 and played a prominent role in the country's political affairs during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the Hedwall surname is predominantly Swedish in origin, it has also been documented in other Scandinavian countries, likely due to migration and intermarriage between neighboring regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hedwall
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedwall, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hedwall 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 Hedwall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hedwall
Hedwall 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+4 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,960 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-16 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,017 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 4,960 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 16,017 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 Hedwall 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 | #127,494 | #143,511 | -12.6% |
| Count | 134 | 118 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hedwall bearers went from 134 to 118 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 16,017 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #143,511.
FAQ
Hedwall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hedwall?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Hedwall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Hedwall?
Hedwall ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Hedwall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Hedwall.
Has Hedwall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hedwall went from 134 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Hedwall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hedwall, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Hedwall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hedwall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.4%), Black (2.5%). 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 Hedwall (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 Hedwall mean?
A Swedish surname, likely derived from a place name related to a hedge or fenced enclosure. 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 Hedwall (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 have the last name Hedwall?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Hedwall is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.