2000
#12,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,337
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Heffron
Derived from a place name meaning "goat hill" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,576 Americans carry the last name Heffron. That puts it at #13,056 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,057 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heffron 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Heffron with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,057
Census rank
#13,056
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,246 bearers of the surname Heffron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13056th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffron, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heffron
The surname Heffron has its origins in Ireland, stemming from the Gaelic name Ó hEachthigheirn, which translates to "descendant of Eachthigheirn." This name was composed of two elements: "each" meaning horse and "tigheirn" meaning lord or master, suggesting that the original bearer was a master of horses or a skilled horseman.
The earliest records of the name Heffron can be traced back to County Sligo in the west of Ireland, where it was first documented in the 13th century. Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Heffron, Hefferon, Heffren, and Heffernan, due to the lack of standardized spelling rules during the medieval period.
One of the earliest known references to the name Heffron is found in the Irish Annals, which record the exploits of several individuals bearing this surname. In the 14th century, a notable figure named Fergal Ó hEachthigheirn is mentioned as a prominent chieftain in County Sligo.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Heffron family played a significant role in Irish history, particularly in the context of the Elizabethan and Cromwellian conquests. In 1641, Terence Heffron, a member of the Irish Catholic nobility, participated in the Irish Rebellion against English rule and was subsequently attainted for his involvement.
Another notable bearer of the name was Patrick Heffron (1720-1779), a wealthy landowner and Catholic merchant from County Down. He was a prominent figure in the Irish Patriot movement and played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of Catholics in Ireland during the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the name Heffron became associated with the Irish diaspora, as many individuals bearing this surname emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly to the United States and Australia, in search of better opportunities. One such individual was John Heffron (1834-1904), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
Other notable individuals with the surname Heffron include Jeremiah Heffron (1836-1890), an Irish-American Civil War veteran and politician from Pennsylvania, and William Heffron (1909-1985), an Australian politician who served as the Premier of New South Wales from 1959 to 1964.
Overall, the surname Heffron has a rich history deeply rooted in Irish culture and heritage, with various branches of the family making significant contributions across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heffron
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffron, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Heffron 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 Heffron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,066
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 74
- Two or more races2.8% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 19
- Black or African American0.8% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heffron
Heffron 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
#12,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,380
+43 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 695 places
2020
#13,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,246
-134 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 140 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,221 | 2,337 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,916 | 2,380 | 0.81 | +43 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 695 places |
| 2020 | #13,056 | 2,246 | 0.75 | -134 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 140 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 Heffron 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 | #12,916 | #13,056 | -1.1% |
| Count | 2,380 | 2,246 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.75 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heffron bearers went from 2,380 to 2,246 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 140 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,916 to #13,056.
FAQ
Heffron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heffron?
Name Census estimates that about 2,576 living Americans carry the surname Heffron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,057 residents.
How common is Heffron?
Heffron ranks #13,056 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,246 people with the surname Heffron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,576), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Heffron.
Has Heffron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heffron went from 2,380 recorded bearers to 2,246. That is a decrease of 134 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,916 to #13,056.
What does the Census say about the background of Heffron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffron, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Heffron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,066 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heffron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Heffron (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 Heffron mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "goat hill" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence. 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 Heffron (0.75 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 people share the surname Heffron?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.