2000
#4,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,641
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.46
Rare Last name
Heilman
A surname of German origin meaning "healing man," likely referring to a healer or medical practitioner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,347 Americans carry the last name Heilman. That puts it at #5,259 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,652 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heilman 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
7.3K
1 in 46,652
Census rank
#5,259
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,407 bearers of the surname Heilman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5259th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heilman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heilman
The surname Heilman is of German origin and traces its roots back to the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is derived from the German word "heil," meaning "whole" or "healthy," and "mann," meaning "man." Therefore, the name Heilman likely referred to a strong, healthy man or someone associated with healing practices.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Heilman can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Augsburg, where a certain "Hans Heilman" was mentioned as a respected citizen. Additionally, the name appears in various church records and tax rolls from the 15th and 16th centuries in various German-speaking regions.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Heilman name gained prominence among members of the nobility and clergy. Notable examples include Johann Heilman (1520-1594), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation, and Heinrich Heilman (1563-1632), a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Saxony.
As the name spread across Europe, it also took on variations in spelling, such as Heilmann, Heylman, and Hailman. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name outside of Germany was in England, where a certain "William Heilman" was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by King Edward I.
The Heilman surname also found its way to the United States, where many Germans immigrated in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable American with this surname was Jesse Heilman (1797-1853), a politician and lawyer from Pennsylvania who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Other notable individuals with the Heilman surname throughout history include:
1. Johann Heilman (1492-1556), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Saxony.
2. Friedrich Heilman (1726-1803), a German painter and etcher known for his landscapes and architectural scenes.
3. Samuel Heilman (1803-1874), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Heilman Brewing Company in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
4. Lillian Heilman (1895-1995), an American playwright and screenwriter who wrote several acclaimed plays, including "The Little Foxes" and "Toys in the Attic."
5. Robert Heilman (1906-2005), an American literary critic and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of modern drama and poetry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heilman
Among Census respondents with the surname Heilman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Heilman 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 Heilman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 5,926
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 210
- Two or more races2.8% · 179
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 43
- Black or African American0.5% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heilman
Heilman 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
#4,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,876
+1,235 bearers (+18.6%)
Per 100,000 2.67
Rank movement Up 345 places
2020
#5,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,407
-1,469 bearers (-18.7%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Down 755 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,849 | 6,641 | 2.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,504 | 7,876 | 2.67 | +1,235 bearers (+18.6%) | Up 345 places |
| 2020 | #5,259 | 6,407 | 2.14 | -1,469 bearers (-18.7%) | Down 755 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 Heilman 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 | #4,504 | #5,259 | -16.8% |
| Count | 7,876 | 6,407 | -18.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.67 | 2.14 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heilman bearers went from 7,876 to 6,407 (-18.7% change). The surname moved down 755 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,504 to #5,259.
FAQ
Heilman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heilman?
Name Census estimates that about 7,347 living Americans carry the surname Heilman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,652 residents.
How common is Heilman?
Heilman ranks #5,259 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,407 people with the surname Heilman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Heilman.
Has Heilman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heilman went from 7,876 recorded bearers to 6,407. That is a decrease of 1,469 (-18.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,504 to #5,259.
What does the Census say about the background of Heilman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heilman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Heilman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (5,926 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heilman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Heilman (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 Heilman mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "healing man," likely referring to a healer or medical practitioner. 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 Heilman (2.14 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 Heilman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.