Find out how popular the last name Heer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Heer.

Heer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Heer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heer in America

Heer is the 14787th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heer surname appeared 2,007 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Heer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Heer

The surname HEER is of German origin, first appearing around the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "herre," meaning "lord" or "master." Initially, it was used as a title for those of noble or distinguished status.

In its earliest recorded usage, the name HEER was often associated with individuals who held positions of authority or were landowners. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the records of the city of Cologne, where a certain Hermann Heer is mentioned as a respected citizen in 1287.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it evolved into various spellings, such as Heer, Herr, and Herren. These variations reflected the local dialects and the influence of different scribes who recorded the name.

The name HEER also holds a connection to certain place names. For example, the town of Heerlen in the Netherlands, formerly known as "Heerlerbaan," is believed to have derived its name from a combination of the German word "Heer" and the Dutch word "leen," meaning "fief" or "estate."

Notable individuals who bore the surname HEER include:

1. Oswald Heer (1809-1883), a Swiss botanist and entomologist, known for his contributions to the study of fossil plants.
2. Johann Jakob Heer (1787-1865), a Swiss politician and member of the Cantonal Council of St. Gallen.
3. Friedrich Heer (1916-1983), an Austrian writer and historian, renowned for his works on the history of ideas and cultural criticism.
4. Georg Eduard Heer (1835-1904), a Swiss businessman and politician who served as a member of the National Council of Switzerland.
5. Heinrich Heer (1838-1919), a Swiss architect known for his work on various churches and public buildings in Switzerland.

While the name HEER has its roots in medieval Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated or were displaced over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Heer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Heer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Heer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Heer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Heer, please contact us.

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