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

Heil, 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 Heil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heil in America

Heil is the 4327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heil surname appeared 8,205 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Heil.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heil 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 Heil

The surname Heil originates from Germany and has its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the German word "heil," which means "whole," "healthy," or "blessed." The name was initially used as a descriptive term, referring to individuals who were considered healthy or fortunate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Heil can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Heile," "Heyl," and "Heyler," indicating regional variations and spelling differences.

In the 13th century, the name Heil was mentioned in the Stadtbücher of Lübeck, a city in northern Germany. These records document the presence of individuals with the surname Heil among the citizens and tradesmen of the city.

The Heil surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One prominent example is Johann Baptist Heil (1592-1647), a German Catholic theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of moral theology.

Another notable individual with the Heil surname was Johann Philipp Heil (1718-1787), a German architect and master builder who designed several churches and public buildings in the Rhineland region of Germany.

In the 19th century, Carl Heil (1834-1904) was a German-American inventor and entrepreneur who founded the Heil Company, a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles and equipment.

Later, in the 20th century, Walter Heil (1894-1976) was a German architect known for his contributions to the Heimatschutzstil (Homeland Protection Style) architectural movement, which aimed to preserve regional and traditional building styles.

It is worth noting that the surname Heil has also been associated with place names and toponyms in various regions of Germany. For example, the town of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg is believed to have derived its name from the combination of the word "Heil" and "Brunnen" (well or spring), suggesting a connection to a healing or blessed spring.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heil

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

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

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

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