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

Heinz, 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 Heinz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heinz in America

Heinz is the 4276th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heinz surname appeared 8,311 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 Heinz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heinz 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 Heinz

The surname HEINZ originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the medieval German personal name Heinezo, which is a diminutive form of the name Hein or Heine, itself a shortened version of the Germanic name Heinrich or Henry.

The name HEINZ is thought to have first emerged in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Swabia. It was initially spelled in various ways, such as Heyntz, Heintz, Heincz, and Heintze, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the HEINZ name was Heinz von Bamberg, a German nobleman who lived in the late 12th century and was recorded in a charter from the city of Bamberg in 1188. Another early reference can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from Brandenburg, which mentions a Heinz von Zossen in the year 1349.

In the 15th century, the HEINZ surname appeared in the town records of Nuremberg, with a certain Heinz Imhoff listed as a prominent merchant and member of the city council in 1456. Around the same time, a Heinz Holbein was recorded as a renowned artist and painter in Augsburg, known for his portraits of the European nobility.

As the name spread across different regions of Germany, it also became associated with various place names. For instance, the town of Heinzenhausen in Hesse likely derived its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname HEINZ.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the HEINZ surname, including:

1. Henry John Heinz (1844-1919), the American businessman and founder of the H.J. Heinz Company, known for its iconic ketchup and food products.
2. Howard Heinz (1877-1920), son of Henry John Heinz and heir to the Heinz Company.
3. Rudolf Heinz (1901-1975), a German film director and screenwriter active during the 1930s and 1940s.
4. Konrad Heinz (1920-2004), a German writer and poet known for his works exploring the themes of war and post-war Germany.
5. Viki Heinz (1930-2017), an Austrian actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout her career.

While the HEINZ surname has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through immigration and the global reach of the Heinz Company's products.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heinz

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

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

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

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