2000
#4,415
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,431
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.75
Rare Last name
Heflin
Derived from a place name meaning "high flax field" in Old English, referring to someone who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,112 Americans carry the last name Heflin. That puts it at #4,837 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,253 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heflin 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
8.1K
1 in 42,253
Census rank
#4,837
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,074 bearers of the surname Heflin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4837th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heflin, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heflin
The surname Heflin is believed to have originated in England, and it likely dates back to the medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hæfen" and "lind," which together mean "dweller by the lime tree." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near a lime tree or in an area where lime trees were abundant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Hevelinde." This entry indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, though the spelling may have varied over time.
In the 13th century, records show a Henry de Heuelyn living in Lincolnshire, England. This spelling variation provides further evidence of the name's evolution throughout the centuries.
By the 14th century, the name had taken on a more recognizable form, as seen in the case of John Hevelyn, who was born in Yorkshire around 1320. This suggests that the spelling had stabilized to some degree by this time.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of John Heflin (1543-1610), a notable English merchant and landowner. His success helped establish the Heflin name as a respected family lineage.
Other notable individuals with the surname Heflin include:
1. Robert Heflin (1674-1738), an English clergyman and scholar.
2. William Heflin (1763-1842), an American farmer and soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War.
3. Mary Heflin (1819-1894), an American educator and author known for her work in women's education.
4. Van Heflin (1910-1971), an American actor who received an Academy Award nomination for his role in the film "Johnny Eager."
5. Howell Heflin (1921-2005), an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama for nearly two decades.
These examples demonstrate the widespread presence of the Heflin surname throughout history, with bearers hailing from various walks of life and achieving notable accomplishments in their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heflin
Among Census respondents with the surname Heflin, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Heflin 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 Heflin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.2% · 5,815
- Black or African American9.0% · 634
- Two or more races4.2% · 299
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 220
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heflin
Heflin 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
#4,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,609
+178 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 2.58
Rank movement Down 245 places
2020
#4,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,074
-535 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 2.37
Rank movement Down 177 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,415 | 7,431 | 2.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,660 | 7,609 | 2.58 | +178 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 245 places |
| 2020 | #4,837 | 7,074 | 2.37 | -535 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 177 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 Heflin 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 | #4,660 | #4,837 | -3.8% |
| Count | 7,609 | 7,074 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.58 | 2.37 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heflin bearers went from 7,609 to 7,074 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 177 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,660 to #4,837.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Heflin
FAQ
Heflin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heflin?
Name Census estimates that about 8,112 living Americans carry the surname Heflin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,253 residents.
How common is Heflin?
Heflin ranks #4,837 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.37 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 7,074 people with the surname Heflin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.37 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 Heflin.
Has Heflin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heflin went from 7,609 recorded bearers to 7,074. That is a decrease of 535 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,660 to #4,837.
What does the Census say about the background of Heflin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heflin, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Heflin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.2% (5,815 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heflin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.2%), Black (9.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Heflin (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 Heflin mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "high flax field" in Old English, referring to someone who lived there. 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 Heflin (2.37 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 Heflin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.