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

Helling, 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 Helling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Helling in America

Helling is the 25381st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Helling surname appeared 975 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 Helling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Helling 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 Helling

The surname Helling originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "helling," meaning "slope" or "incline." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived on or near a hillside or sloping terrain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Helling name can be found in the town records of Cologne, Germany, dating back to 1387. The name appears as "Heinrich Helling," indicating that the surname was already in use at that time.

In the 16th century, the Helling surname began to spread across various regions of Germany. Historical records from cities like Nuremberg and Augsburg mention individuals bearing this name, such as Johann Helling (1523-1594), a renowned Lutheran theologian and author.

As the centuries progressed, the Helling name continued to be found in various areas of Germany. In the late 18th century, a notable figure named Friedrich Helling (1767-1845) rose to prominence as a German jurist and legal scholar.

The name also made its way to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Scandinavia. In the Netherlands, the Helling surname is sometimes spelled as "Hellin" or "Hellinga," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Helling name in the United States can be traced back to the late 18th century when Johann Helling (1745-1823), a German immigrant, settled in Pennsylvania.

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

1. Heinrich Helling (1387), one of the earliest recorded individuals with this name from Cologne, Germany.
2. Johann Helling (1523-1594), a renowned Lutheran theologian and author from Germany.
3. Friedrich Helling (1767-1845), a German jurist and legal scholar.
4. Wilhelm Helling (1836-1911), a German geologist and paleontologist.
5. Gustav Helling (1870-1945), a German architect and urban planner.

While the Helling surname may not be as widespread as some other German names, its rich history and etymology provide insights into the lives and origins of those who carried this name throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Helling

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

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

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

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