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

Heeter, 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 Heeter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heeter in America

Heeter is the 14105th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heeter surname appeared 2,131 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 Heeter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heeter 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 Heeter

The surname Heeter originates from Germany, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "hitt," meaning "heat" or "hot," potentially referring to someone who worked with fire or lived near a furnace or oven.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Heeter can be found in the town records of Heidelberg, Germany, from the year 1327, where a blacksmith named Hans Heeter is mentioned. This lends credence to the theory that the name was initially associated with professions involving heat or fire.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Heitter, Heyter, and Heyther, in regions across central and southern Germany. These variations suggest the influence of regional dialects and the evolution of spelling conventions over time.

A notable figure bearing the name Heeter was Johann Heeter, a German theologian and scholar who lived from 1535 to 1599. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and authored several influential works on theology and church history.

During the 17th century, the name Heeter began to spread beyond the borders of Germany as a result of emigration. In 1642, records show a family by the name of Heeter settling in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, which later became New York City.

Another significant figure was Friedrich Heeter, a German composer and musician who lived from 1774 to 1842. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of early Romantic music and his compositions for various ensembles.

As German immigrants continued to arrive in North America throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Heeter became more widespread in regions like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other areas with substantial German settlements.

One notable American bearer of the name was William Heeter, a Union Army soldier who fought in the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. He was recognized for his bravery and valor on the battlefield and received several commendations.

In the late 19th century, a small community in West Virginia was named Heeter, likely after an early settler or landowner with that surname. This further solidified the presence of the name in the United States.

While the surname Heeter is not among the most common, it has a rich history rooted in Germany's medieval past, reflecting the various professions and lifestyles of its bearers over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heeter

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

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 Heeter 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 Heeter 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 Heeter was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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