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

Hemphill, 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 Hemphill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hemphill in America

Hemphill is the 2672nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hemphill surname appeared 13,495 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Hemphill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hemphill 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 Hemphill

The surname Hemphill originated in Scotland and is derived from the Gaelic words "cnoc channaich," which translate to "hill of hemp." This suggests that the name was likely first borne by someone who lived near a hill where hemp was grown or processed.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century in the county of Renfrewshire, Scotland. A manuscript from 1296 mentions a "Philip de Hemphill" who was a tenant of lands near the town of Lochwinnoch.

Over time, the name evolved with various spellings, such as Hemphil, Hempill, and Hemphyll, before settling on the modern form of Hemphill. These variations can be found in historical records throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Hemphill (1470-1537), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who served as the Sheriff of Renfrewshire in the early 16th century. His family's coat of arms featured a hemp plant, further solidifying the connection between the name and the plant.

In the 17th century, many Hemphills migrated to Ireland, particularly to County Antrim and County Down, where they contributed to the Plantation of Ulster. One famous Irish Hemphill was Sir Robert Hemphill (1765-1831), a politician and judge who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1818.

As the Hemphill name spread throughout the British Isles, it also found its way to the American colonies in the 18th century. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of John Hemphill (1730-1807), a Scottish immigrant who became a prominent judge and politician in South Carolina.

Other notable individuals with the Hemphill surname include William Hemphill (1804-1862), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, and John Mark Hemphill (1798-1846), a U.S. Senator and Confederate politician from Texas.

Despite its Scottish origins, the Hemphill name has since become prevalent in various countries, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Australia, where descendants of the early Scottish and Irish settlers have established themselves.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hemphill

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

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

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

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