2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hemmis
A surname likely derived from the German place name Hemmes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Hemmis. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hemmis 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Hemmis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hemmis, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hemmis
The surname HEMMIS is believed to have originated in the region of North West England, specifically in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, during the 16th century. It is likely derived from the Old English words "hæm" and "isc," meaning "homestead" and "belonging to," respectively, suggesting that the name originally referred to someone who lived or worked at a particular homestead or farm.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HEMMIS can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Whalley, Lancashire, where a certain John Hemmis was mentioned in 1586. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 16th century, indicating its presence in that region as well.
In the 17th century, the HEMMIS surname appears to have spread to other parts of England, as evidenced by records from Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. A notable bearer of the name during this period was William Hemmis (1630-1698), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.
As the HEMMIS family prospered and expanded, they established themselves in various locations, leading to the adoption of place names as part of their surname. For instance, the variant "Hemmis of Burnley" emerged, referring to a branch of the family that settled in the town of Burnley, Lancashire.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the HEMMIS surname made notable contributions in various fields. One such individual was James Hemmis (1745-1821), a renowned architect and builder who was responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in Yorkshire.
Another notable bearer of the name was Elizabeth Hemmis (1789-1867), a philanthropist and social reformer who founded several schools and orphanages in Lancashire. Her efforts were recognized by Queen Victoria, who awarded her the Royal Red Cross in 1856.
In the realm of literature, the HEMMIS surname is associated with Thomas Hemmis (1812-1885), a prolific writer and poet who published numerous works on the history and folklore of the Yorkshire region.
The 20th century saw the HEMMIS name continue to be carried by individuals of distinction, such as Sir Robert Hemmis (1906-1988), a highly decorated military officer who served in both World Wars and later became a prominent businessman.
Throughout its history, the HEMMIS surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Hemis, Hemmys, and Hemmiss, reflecting the evolving nature of language and regional dialects. However, the core meaning and origins of the name have remained rooted in the rich heritage of the North West England region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hemmis
Among Census respondents with the surname Hemmis, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hemmis 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 Hemmis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hemmis
Hemmis 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+2 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,677 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-20 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,476 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 6,677 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 18,476 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 Hemmis 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 | #133,863 | #152,339 | -13.8% |
| Count | 126 | 106 | -15.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hemmis bearers went from 126 to 106 (-15.9% change). The surname moved down 18,476 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #152,339.
FAQ
Hemmis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hemmis?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Hemmis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Hemmis?
Hemmis ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Hemmis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hemmis.
Has Hemmis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hemmis went from 126 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Hemmis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hemmis, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Hemmis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hemmis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Hemmis (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 Hemmis mean?
A surname likely derived from the German place name Hemmes. 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 Hemmis (0.04 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 Hemmis?
Want to know how many people have the last name Hemmis? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.