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

Heier, 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 Heier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heier in America

Heier is the 15210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heier surname appeared 1,937 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Heier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heier 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 Heier

The surname "HEIER" is believed to have originated in Germany, dating back to the 16th century or earlier. It is likely derived from the German word "Heier," which means "herdsman" or "cowherd." The name may have been initially attributed to individuals who worked as herdsmen or were associated with cattle farming.

In the early days, surnames were often based on occupations, locations, or physical characteristics. The surname "HEIER" could have been used to identify someone who tended to cattle herds or lived in an area known for cattle-rearing activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "HEIER" can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) from the 17th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. These records often listed births, marriages, and deaths within local communities.

The name "HEIER" has also been associated with certain place names or geographic locations in Germany. For instance, there is a village called Heierhof in the district of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, which may have contributed to the surname's origin or distribution.

Historically, several notable individuals have borne the surname "HEIER." One prominent figure was Johann Heier (1592-1668), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Marburg. Another notable bearer of the name was Hans Heier (1847-1921), a German architect known for his work on various churches and public buildings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Other individuals with the surname "HEIER" include Friedrich Heier (1819-1892), a German painter and illustrator renowned for his landscapes and historical scenes, and Wilhelm Heier (1876-1945), a German military officer who served during World War I and was awarded the Iron Cross for his service.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as "Heyer," "Heyder," or "Heier," were common in historical records due to regional dialects and differences in record-keeping practices. These variations may have contributed to the diversity of the surname's representation across different regions and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heier

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!