2000
#99,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Henchen
A surname derived from a German diminutive form of the given name "Henrik."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 214 Americans carry the last name Henchen. That puts it at #102,571 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,601,656 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Henchen 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
214
1 in 1,601,656
Census rank
#102,571
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
187
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 187 bearers of the surname Henchen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102571st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Henchen, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Henchen
The surname Henchen has its origins in Germany, with records indicating its use dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Henne," which means "hen" or "chicken," suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or occupation-related surname for someone who raised or traded in poultry.
The earliest known record of the Henchen surname can be found in the German town of Wiesbaden, where a certain Johann Henchen is mentioned in a church register from the year 1587. This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in that region by the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, variations of the name began appearing in other parts of Germany, such as Hessen and Bavaria. Some of these variations included Henchin, Henchel, and Hencke, reflecting regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
One notable individual bearing the Henchen surname was Wilhelm Henchen, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1738 to 1807. His works, primarily focused on landscapes and architectural scenes, can be found in several museums across Germany.
Another prominent figure was Johann Henchen, a German theologian and philosopher born in 1672 in the town of Aachen. He was known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy and served as a professor at the University of Duisburg for many years.
In the late 18th century, a family by the name of Henchen settled in the town of Alzey, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. This branch of the family produced several notable individuals, including Johann Georg Henchen (1767-1842), who served as a mayor and local magistrate in Alzey.
A significant number of individuals bearing the Henchen surname can also be found in historical records from the town of Diez, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region. One such individual was Peter Henchen (1796-1871), a successful merchant and landowner who played a prominent role in the local community.
As the Henchen surname spread throughout Germany over the centuries, it also found its way into other parts of Europe, including regions of France and the Netherlands, though its origins and primary concentration remained firmly rooted in Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Henchen
Among Census respondents with the surname Henchen, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Henchen 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 Henchen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 187
Timeline
Historical Census data for Henchen
Henchen 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
#99,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 181
+13 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 120 places
2020
#102,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 187
+6 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 2,726 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,725 | 168 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #99,845 | 181 | 0.06 | +13 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 120 places |
| 2020 | #102,571 | 187 | 0.06 | +6 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 2,726 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 Henchen 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 | #99,845 | #102,571 | -2.7% |
| Count | 181 | 187 | 3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Henchen bearers went from 181 to 187 (+3.3% change). The surname moved down 2,726 positions in the national ranking, going from #99,845 to #102,571.
FAQ
Henchen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Henchen?
Name Census estimates that about 214 living Americans carry the surname Henchen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,601,656 residents.
How common is Henchen?
Henchen ranks #102,571 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 187 people with the surname Henchen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (214), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Henchen.
Has Henchen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Henchen went from 181 recorded bearers to 187. That is an increase of 6 (+3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #99,845 to #102,571.
What does the Census say about the background of Henchen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Henchen, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Henchen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (187 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Henchen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Henchen (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 Henchen mean?
A surname derived from a German diminutive form of the given name "Henrik." 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 Henchen (0.06 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 many people are called Henchen?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Henchen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.