2000
#4,613
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,029
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.61
Rare Last name
Heffner
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of pottery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,431 Americans carry the last name Heffner. That puts it at #5,207 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,125 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heffner 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
7.4K
1 in 46,125
Census rank
#5,207
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,480 bearers of the surname Heffner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5207th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heffner
The surname Heffner has its roots in Germany, originating in the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Hafner," which translates to "potter" or "maker of earthenware vessels." This occupation-based surname was likely given to individuals or families who worked in the pottery trade during that era.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Heffner can be traced back to the region of Bavaria, where many potters and ceramic artisans were based. In the town of Nuremberg, known for its rich history in ceramics and craftsmanship, there are records of Heffners dating back to the late 1500s.
One notable mention of the name Heffner can be found in the "Chronik der Stadt Nürnberg" (Chronicle of the City of Nuremberg), a historical document from the 17th century. It references a certain Johann Heffner, a master potter who was highly respected for his skilled craftsmanship and innovative techniques.
As the Heffner family expanded and migrated throughout Europe, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged. Some of these variations include Haeffner, Heffener, and Hefner. These slight alterations in spelling were often influenced by regional dialects and the personal preferences of individual families.
Throughout history, several individuals bearing the surname Heffner have achieved notable accomplishments. One such figure was Johann Georg Heffner (1696-1772), a renowned clockmaker from the German town of Augsburg. His intricate and precise timepieces were highly sought after by wealthy patrons across Europe.
Another prominent Heffner was Friedrich Heffner (1825-1891), a German architect who designed several iconic buildings in the city of Munich, including the Alte Pinakothek art museum and the Maximilianeum, a prestigious educational institution.
In the field of literature, the name Heffner is associated with Wilhelm Heffner (1856-1934), a German author and poet whose works were celebrated for their vivid descriptions of rural life and landscapes.
A more contemporary figure is Hugh Heffner (1926-2017), the American publisher and businessman who founded the iconic Playboy magazine. Although not directly related to the German Heffner lineage, his surname shares the same roots and origins.
It is worth noting that the surname Heffner has also been found in other regions, such as Switzerland and Austria, likely due to the migration patterns of potters and artisans throughout Central Europe during the medieval and Renaissance periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heffner
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Heffner 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 Heffner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 5,840
- Black or African American3.3% · 215
- Two or more races3.0% · 196
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 164
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heffner
Heffner 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
#5,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,980
-49 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.37
Rank movement Down 416 places
2020
#5,207
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,480
-500 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 2.17
Rank movement Down 178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,613 | 7,029 | 2.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,029 | 6,980 | 2.37 | -49 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 416 places |
| 2020 | #5,207 | 6,480 | 2.17 | -500 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 178 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 Heffner 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 | #5,029 | #5,207 | -3.5% |
| Count | 6,980 | 6,480 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.37 | 2.17 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heffner bearers went from 6,980 to 6,480 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 178 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,029 to #5,207.
FAQ
Heffner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heffner?
Name Census estimates that about 7,431 living Americans carry the surname Heffner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,125 residents.
How common is Heffner?
Heffner ranks #5,207 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,480 people with the surname Heffner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,431), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Heffner.
Has Heffner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heffner went from 6,980 recorded bearers to 6,480. That is a decrease of 500 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,029 to #5,207.
What does the Census say about the background of Heffner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Heffner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (5,840 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heffner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Black (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Heffner (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 Heffner mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of pottery. 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 Heffner (2.17 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 Heffner?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.