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

Hefty, 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 Hefty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hefty in America

Hefty is the 22989th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hefty surname appeared 1,112 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 Hefty.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hefty 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 Hefty

The surname "HEFTY" is of German origin, derived from the word "heft," which means "strong" or "sturdy." The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, likely as a descriptive nickname given to individuals of a robust or powerful build.

The earliest recorded instances of the name "HEFTY" can be traced back to various regions of what is now modern-day Germany. Some of the earliest mentions of the name appear in local parish records and tax rolls from the 14th and 15th centuries, particularly in areas such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland.

While the name "HEFTY" is not found in significant historical records like the Domesday Book, which focused primarily on England, it does appear in other notable documents from central Europe. For example, there are records of individuals with the surname "HEFTY" in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "HEFTY" was Hans Hefty, a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Augsburg, who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Konrad Hefty, a German theologian and reformer who lived in the 16th century and played a role in the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, Johann Hefty, a German composer and organist, made significant contributions to the development of Baroque music. He was born in 1633 and served as the court organist for the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels.

During the 19th century, the surname "HEFTY" gained prominence with the writer and philosopher Friedrich Hefty (1802-1875), who was known for his works on ethics and philosophy of law. Additionally, Theodor Hefty (1825-1894), a Swiss politician and statesman, played a crucial role in the development of modern Switzerland.

Another notable figure was Gerhard Hefty (1879-1944), a German naval officer who served in World War I and later became a prominent naval historian and author. His works provided valuable insights into the naval operations of the early 20th century.

As the name "HEFTY" spread across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Heffty," "Heftie," and "Heftye," reflecting local dialects and linguistic adaptations. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its German etymology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hefty

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

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

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

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