Helton last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Helton

A habitational surname derived from places in England meaning "hill town" or "town on a hill."

Helton, 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 Helton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Helton in America

Helton is the 1414th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Helton surname appeared 25,118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Helton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Helton 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 1414 1310 7.64%
Count 25,118 24,624 1.99%
Proportion per 100k 8.52 9.13 -6.91%

The history of the last name Helton

The surname Helton originates from England, with its roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "halton," which means "high town" or "settlement on a hill." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals residing in elevated or hilly areas.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Helton can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference is in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273, where the name appears as "Helton." This record provides evidence of the surname's existence during the medieval period in England.

During the 16th century, the surname Helton appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One significant individual from this era was John Helton, a merchant and landowner who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 1500s. His name is mentioned in several legal documents related to property transactions and business dealings.

In the 17th century, the surname Helton continued to be prevalent in various parts of England. A notable figure from this period was William Helton, a prominent clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire from 1624 to 1652. His name is recorded in church records and historical accounts of the time.

The 18th century saw the surname Helton spread across different regions of England. One notable individual was Thomas Helton, a successful farmer and landowner from Lincolnshire. He was born in 1712 and is mentioned in several land deeds and agricultural records from the mid-1700s.

In the 19th century, the surname Helton gained further recognition. One remarkable figure was Elizabeth Helton, a renowned author and poet from Derbyshire. Born in 1823, she published several collections of poetry and novels that garnered critical acclaim during her lifetime.

Throughout its history, the surname Helton has been associated with various locations and place names in England. For instance, the village of Helton in Dorset and the hamlet of Helton in Wiltshire are believed to have derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Helton who lived in or owned land in those areas.

These are just a few examples of individuals and historical references associated with the surname Helton. The name has a rich history, rooted in the Anglo-Saxon heritage of England, and has been carried by notable figures across various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Helton

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

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 Helton was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.58% 23,003
Non-Hispanic Black Only 3.57% 897
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.39% 98
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.78% 196
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.76% 442
Hispanic Origin 1.92% 482

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 Helton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.58% 92.73% -1.25%
Black 3.57% 3.49% 2.27%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.39% 0.35% 10.81%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.78% 0.69% 12.24%
Two or More Races 1.76% 1.38% 24.20%
Hispanic 1.92% 1.35% 34.86%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Helton last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/helton-surname-popularity/.

"Helton last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/helton-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

Helton last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/helton-surname-popularity/.

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