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

Heffley, 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 Heffley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heffley in America

Heffley is the 21307th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heffley surname appeared 1,230 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Heffley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heffley 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 Heffley

The surname Heffley has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is derived from the German word "Höfle," which means a small farm or a hamlet.

One of the earliest known records of the name Heffley can be found in the parish records of the town of Kirchheim unter Teck, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, dating back to the year 1587. The name was spelled as "Höfflin" at that time, and it referred to a family residing in a small hamlet near the town.

In the 17th century, the Heffley name began to spread across various regions of Germany as families migrated in search of better opportunities. During this period, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Höfflein," "Höfflin," and "Heffler."

The earliest known record of the Heffley name in the English-speaking world dates back to the late 18th century, when Johann Heffley, a German immigrant, settled in Pennsylvania, United States, in the year 1782. Johann Heffley was a farmer and is known to have established a homestead in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.

Another notable individual bearing the Heffley surname was Friedrich Heffley, a German-born philosopher and author who lived from 1796 to 1868. He is best known for his work on ethics and moral philosophy, and his writings were widely read across Europe during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Heffley name continued to spread across various parts of the United States and Europe. One prominent figure was William Heffley, an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855, representing the state of Illinois.

Another individual of note was Emma Heffley, a British educator and advocate for women's rights, who lived from 1838 to 1915. She was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions for girls in London and worked tirelessly to promote equal opportunities for women in education and employment.

As the Heffley name spread across different regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Heffley," "Hefley," and "Heffli." However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the German language and its association with small rural settlements or farms.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heffley

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

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

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

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