Find out how popular the last name Hejl is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hejl.
A Czech surname derived from the word "hejl" meaning a woodpecker or woodpecker-like bird.
Hejl, 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 Hejl surname is from the 2010 census data.
Hejl is the 35016th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Hejl surname appeared 644 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hejl.
We can also compare 2010 data for Hejl 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 35016 | 35342 | -0.93% |
Count | 644 | 603 | 6.58% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.00% |
The surname HEJL originated in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) in the 12th century. It is derived from the old Czech word "hajliti", which means "to protect" or "to guard". This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been watchmen, sentries, or soldiers.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various medieval records and manuscripts from the region, often spelled as "Heil" or "Heyl". One of the earliest recorded instances is from 1287, when a certain Petrus Heil is mentioned in a document from the town of Kutná Hora.
As the name spread across Central Europe, different spellings emerged, such as "Hejl", "Heil", "Hayl", and "Hail". These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciations.
Notable people with the surname HEJL include Jaroslav Hejl (1909-1992), a Czech painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life. Another was Johann Hejl (1684-1737), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.
In the 16th century, the name appears in records from the town of Frýdek-Místek in Silesia (now part of the Czech Republic), where a family named Hejl owned a mill and farmlands. This suggests that some bearers of the name may have been involved in agriculture or land ownership.
During the 17th century, the name is found in various church records and parish registers from the regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. One notable figure was Matthias Hejl (1653-1718), a Czech Catholic priest and theologian who served as a canon at the Cathedral of St. Vitus in Prague.
In the 19th century, the surname HEJL can be found among the inhabitants of several villages in the Bohemian Forest region, such as Železná Ruda and Kvilda. This area was known for its glassmaking and woodworking industries, suggesting that some Hejls may have been involved in these trades.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hejl.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hejl was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 96.58% | 622 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.93% | 6 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | 1.71% | 11 |
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 Hejl has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 96.58% | 96.35% | 0.24% |
Black | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.93% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | 0.83% | (S)% |
Hispanic | 1.71% | 2.32% | -30.27% |
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 Hejl was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/hejl-surname-popularity/">Hejl last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Hejl last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 19, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/hejl-surname-popularity/.
"Hejl last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/hejl-surname-popularity/. Accessed 19 May, 2025
Hejl last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/hejl-surname-popularity/.
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