2000
#3,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.38
Rare Last name
Held
Derived from a German nickname for a hero or a courageous person, or from a Germanic personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,217 Americans carry the last name Held. That puts it at #4,266 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,187 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Held 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Held with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,187
Census rank
#4,266
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,038 bearers of the surname Held in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4266th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Held, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Held
The surname Held is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "helde," meaning "hero" or "brave man." It emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th century, and was initially used as a descriptive name to identify individuals who displayed heroic or courageous qualities.
The name Held can be traced back to various regions within German-speaking areas, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It was particularly prevalent in areas where Germanic tribes, such as the Franks and Saxons, had settled and established communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Held can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony dating back to the 12th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Konrad Held, a German knight and military commander who fought in the Hussite Wars against the Hussites in Bohemia. He was born around 1380 and died in 1451.
Another prominent figure with the surname Held was Hans Held, a German Renaissance painter and engraver who lived from approximately 1530 to 1592. He was renowned for his intricate woodcuts and engravings, which depicted religious and mythological scenes.
During the 17th century, Georg Held, a German theologian and author, made significant contributions to Protestant theology. He was born in 1620 and passed away in 1688.
In the 19th century, Adolf Held, a German philosopher and educator, gained recognition for his work in the field of ethics and education. He was born in 1844 and died in 1918.
The surname Held can also be found in various place names throughout German-speaking regions, such as Heldburg, a town in Thuringia, and Heldenstein, a municipality in Bavaria. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname Held who were associated with or resided in those areas.
Overall, the surname Held has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with its origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, including military, art, theology, and philosophy, over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Held
Among Census respondents with the surname Held, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Held 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 Held surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 7,425
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 266
- Two or more races2.7% · 217
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 77
- Black or African American0.4% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Held
Held 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
#4,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,195
-1,931 bearers (-21.2%)
Per 100,000 2.44
Rank movement Down 1,322 places
2020
#4,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,038
+843 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Up 630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,574 | 9,126 | 3.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,896 | 7,195 | 2.44 | -1,931 bearers (-21.2%) | Down 1,322 places |
| 2020 | #4,266 | 8,038 | 2.69 | +843 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 630 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 Held 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 | #4,896 | #4,266 | 12.9% |
| Count | 7,195 | 8,038 | 11.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.44 | 2.69 | 10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Held bearers went from 7,195 to 8,038 (+11.7% change). The surname moved up 630 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,896 to #4,266.
FAQ
Held surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Held?
Name Census estimates that about 9,217 living Americans carry the surname Held. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,187 residents.
How common is Held?
Held ranks #4,266 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,038 people with the surname Held. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,217), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Held.
Has Held become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Held went from 7,195 recorded bearers to 8,038. That is an increase of 843 (+11.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,896 to #4,266.
What does the Census say about the background of Held?
Among Census respondents with the surname Held, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Held in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (7,425 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Held appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Held (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 Held mean?
Derived from a German nickname for a hero or a courageous person, or from a Germanic personal name. 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 Held (2.69 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 common is the surname Held?
See how many people have the last name Held on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.