2000
#22,116
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,091
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Heffington
An English place surname originating from a place named Heffington.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,233 Americans carry the last name Heffington. That puts it at #24,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 277,984 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heffington 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
1.2K
1 in 277,984
Census rank
#24,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,075 bearers of the surname Heffington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffington, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heffington
The surname Heffington originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "hefe" meaning "heave" or "lift" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a town or settlement where lifting or heaving activities took place, such as a port or mining area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Heuingatun." This entry refers to a settlement in Warwickshire, indicating that the name was well-established in this region during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "Hevyngton" and "Hevington." These spelling variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the influence of regional dialects.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Heffington (c. 1390-1455), a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire. He served as a member of Parliament and was involved in the Wars of the Roses.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Heffington (1556-1624), an English playwright and poet who was part of the literary circle surrounding William Shakespeare. His plays, though not widely known today, were popular in their time.
During the 17th century, the name appeared in various parish records across England, particularly in counties like Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. This suggests that the Heffington family had established roots in these regions.
In the 18th century, William Heffington (1715-1789) was a successful merchant and ship owner based in Bristol. He played a significant role in the city's thriving maritime trade and contributed to its economic growth.
The 19th century saw the birth of Emily Heffington (1827-1905), a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools and campaigned for equal educational opportunities for girls.
Throughout its history, the surname Heffington has been associated with various occupations and social classes, from landowners and merchants to artists and educators. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the early development of English place names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heffington
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffington, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Heffington 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 Heffington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 941
- Two or more races6.0% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 22
- Black or African American0.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heffington
Heffington 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
#22,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,169
+78 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 8 places
2020
#24,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,075
-94 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 2,156 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,116 | 1,091 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,124 | 1,169 | 0.40 | +78 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 8 places |
| 2020 | #24,280 | 1,075 | 0.36 | -94 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 2,156 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 Heffington 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 | #22,124 | #24,280 | -9.7% |
| Count | 1,169 | 1,075 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.36 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heffington bearers went from 1,169 to 1,075 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 2,156 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,124 to #24,280.
FAQ
Heffington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heffington?
Name Census estimates that about 1,233 living Americans carry the surname Heffington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 277,984 residents.
How common is Heffington?
Heffington ranks #24,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 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 1,075 people with the surname Heffington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,233), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 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 Heffington.
Has Heffington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heffington went from 1,169 recorded bearers to 1,075. That is a decrease of 94 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,124 to #24,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Heffington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffington, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Heffington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (941 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heffington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Two or More Races (6.0%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Heffington (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 Heffington mean?
An English place surname originating from a place named Heffington. 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 Heffington (0.36 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 Americans have the surname Heffington?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.