2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Heileson
A locational surname derived from a place name in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Heileson. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heileson 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Heileson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heileson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heileson
The surname HEILESON originated in Sweden, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "heilag," which translates to "holy" or "sacred." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals connected to religious orders or those with devout spiritual beliefs.
The earliest known record of the HEILESON surname can be found in the Västergötland regional archives, dating back to the 14th century. These documents mention a farmer named Olaf Heileson, who resided in the village of Varnhem. It is likely that the name was initially used as a patronymic, indicating the father's name.
In the late 15th century, the HEILESON name appeared in the Värmland county records, referring to a family of landowners in the town of Karlstad. This branch of the HEILESON lineage can be traced to Nils Heileson, a prominent figure in the local community who was born around 1470.
One notable individual bearing the HEILESON surname was Johan Heileson, a Lutheran minister who lived in the 16th century. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation movement in Sweden and was known for his passionate sermons and commitment to spreading the reformed teachings.
Another historical figure of note was Brita Heileson, born in 1612 in the village of Hällefors. She gained recognition as a skilled herbalist and midwife, providing invaluable medical assistance to the local community during a time when access to professional healthcare was limited.
In the 18th century, the HEILESON name was associated with the town of Falun, where a family of miners and metalworkers resided. The most prominent among them was Erik Heileson, born in 1732, who pioneered innovative techniques for extracting copper from the region's rich mineral deposits.
The HEILESON surname also has a connection to the city of Stockholm, where a branch of the family settled in the late 19th century. One of their descendants, Anna Heileson, born in 1875, became a celebrated artist known for her captivating landscape paintings that captured the beauty of the Swedish countryside.
While the HEILESON name may have evolved over time and spread to different regions of Sweden, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era, reflecting the country's rich cultural and historical heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heileson
Among Census respondents with the surname Heileson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Heileson 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 Heileson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 110
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heileson
Heileson appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+12 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 9,840 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 Heileson 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 | #152,628 | #142,788 | 6.4% |
| Count | 107 | 119 | 11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heileson bearers went from 107 to 119 (+11.2% change). The surname moved up 9,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #142,788.
FAQ
Heileson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heileson?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Heileson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Heileson?
Heileson ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Heileson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Heileson.
Has Heileson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heileson went from 107 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 12 (+11.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Heileson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heileson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Heileson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heileson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Heileson (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 Heileson mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Germany. 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 Heileson (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 have the last name Heileson?
If you just want to know how many people are called Heileson, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.