2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hegerle
German surname of geographic origin referring to someone from Hegerle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Hegerle. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hegerle 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Hegerle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hegerle, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hegerle
The surname Hegerle originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "heger," meaning "guardian" or "keeper," potentially referring to a profession or occupation. The name may have been initially associated with individuals who served as guardians or caretakers, either for a specific place or for a person of importance.
One of the earliest known references to the Hegerle name can be found in historical records from the town of Worms, located in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. In the 1520s, a man named Hans Hegerle was documented as a resident of the town, though little additional information about his life or occupation is available.
As the name spread across various regions of Germany, it underwent some spelling variations, such as Hegerler, Heegerle, and Hegerly. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
In the 17th century, records mention a Johann Hegerle, born in 1628 in the town of Kirchheim unter Teck, located in the modern-day state of Baden-Württemberg. Johann was a respected member of the local community and served as a town council member during his lifetime.
Another notable figure with the Hegerle surname was Johann Georg Hegerle, born in 1727 in the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. He was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with designing and constructing some of the most intricate and complex timepieces of his era.
Moving into the 19th century, the Hegerle name gained wider recognition with the birth of Karl Friedrich Hegerle in 1818 in the town of Langenau, Württemberg. Hegerle was a prominent educator and author, known for his contributions to the field of pedagogy and his advocacy for educational reforms.
In the early 20th century, the Hegerle name found its way into the arts with the birth of the painter and sculptor Heinrich Hegerle in 1901 in Munich, Bavaria. Hegerle's works were heavily influenced by the Expressionist movement, and his sculptures and paintings gained recognition throughout Germany and beyond.
While these are just a few examples, the Hegerle surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions within Germany. Its origins can be traced back to the 16th century, and over time, it has been associated with individuals from various professions and backgrounds, contributing to the cultural tapestry of Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hegerle
Among Census respondents with the surname Hegerle, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Hegerle 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 Hegerle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hegerle
Hegerle 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,742 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-8 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,097 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 10,742 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 8,097 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 Hegerle 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 | #142,108 | #150,205 | -5.7% |
| Count | 117 | 109 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hegerle bearers went from 117 to 109 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 8,097 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #150,205.
FAQ
Hegerle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hegerle?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Hegerle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Hegerle?
Hegerle ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Hegerle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hegerle.
Has Hegerle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hegerle went from 117 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Hegerle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hegerle, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Hegerle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hegerle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Hegerle (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 Hegerle mean?
German surname of geographic origin referring to someone from Hegerle. 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 Hegerle (0.04 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 Hegerle?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.