2000
#16,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,610
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Hegedus
A Hungarian surname derived from the word for "violinist" or "fiddler".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,926 Americans carry the last name Hegedus. That puts it at #16,586 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 177,962 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hegedus 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 Hegedus with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 177,962
Census rank
#16,586
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,680 bearers of the surname Hegedus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16586th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hegedus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hegedus
The surname Hegedus originates from Hungary and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hungarian word "hegedű," which means "violin" or "fiddle." This suggests that the name likely referred to an occupation or profession related to playing or making musical instruments, specifically violins.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hegedus surname can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Kőszeg in western Hungary. This document mentions a certain "Johannes Hegedus," who was likely a violinist or violin maker residing in the area.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various records from the region of Transylvania, which was part of the Kingdom of Hungary at the time. One notable example is a land deed from 1487 that mentions a "Petrus Hegedus" as a landowner in the village of Segesvár (now Sighișoara, Romania).
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hegedus surname became more widespread across Hungary and parts of neighboring regions. Notable individuals bearing this name include János Hegedűs (c. 1550-1610), a renowned Hungarian composer and lutenist who served at the court of Prince István Báthory in Transylvania.
Another notable figure was Lőrinc Hegedűs (1619-1678), a Franciscan friar and writer who authored several works on theology and philosophy. He was born in the town of Győr and spent much of his life in various monasteries throughout Hungary.
In the 18th century, the Hegedus surname can be found in records from the town of Eger, located in northern Hungary. One example is Gáspár Hegedűs (1733-1803), a prominent Catholic priest and theologian who served as the Bishop of Eger from 1792 until his death.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure was the Hungarian politician and writer Sándor Hegedűs (1847-1911). He served as the Minister of Finance in the Hungarian government and was also a prolific author, publishing works on economics and political topics.
Throughout its history, the Hegedus surname has maintained a strong connection to its musical origins, with many individuals bearing this name being involved in the arts, particularly in the field of classical music and violin performance or craftsmanship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hegedus
Among Census respondents with the surname Hegedus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hegedus 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 Hegedus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 1,575
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 48
- Two or more races1.9% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 16
- Black or African American0.5% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hegedus
Hegedus 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
#16,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,704
+94 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Down 315 places
2020
#16,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,680
-24 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,450 | 1,610 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,765 | 1,704 | 0.58 | +94 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 315 places |
| 2020 | #16,586 | 1,680 | 0.56 | -24 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 179 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 Hegedus 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 | #16,765 | #16,586 | 1.1% |
| Count | 1,704 | 1,680 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.58 | 0.56 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hegedus bearers went from 1,704 to 1,680 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,765 to #16,586.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hegedus
FAQ
Hegedus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hegedus?
Name Census estimates that about 1,926 living Americans carry the surname Hegedus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 177,962 residents.
How common is Hegedus?
Hegedus ranks #16,586 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.56 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 1,680 people with the surname Hegedus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,926), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.56 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 Hegedus.
Has Hegedus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hegedus went from 1,704 recorded bearers to 1,680. That is a decrease of 24 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,765 to #16,586.
What does the Census say about the background of Hegedus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hegedus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Hegedus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (1,575 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hegedus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Hegedus (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 Hegedus mean?
A Hungarian surname derived from the word for "violinist" or "fiddler". 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 Hegedus (0.56 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 common is the surname Hegedus?
Find out how many people have the surname Hegedus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.