2000
#5,369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,967
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.21
Rare Last name
Hendershot
Derived from a nickname for an excellent marksman or hunter skilled with a handgun or arquebus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,587 Americans carry the last name Hendershot. That puts it at #5,803 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hendershot 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
6.6K
1 in 52,035
Census rank
#5,803
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,744 bearers of the surname Hendershot in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5803rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hendershot, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hendershot
The surname Hendershot originates from the Dutch language and traces its roots back to the Netherlands in the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch occupational surname "Hindersman," meaning a herdsman or someone who tended livestock such as sheep or cattle.
The earliest recorded instances of the Hendershot surname can be found in Dutch church records from the late 1500s and early 1600s. These records often list the name with various spellings, including Hinderschot, Henderscot, and Henderschot, reflecting the regional dialects of the time.
During the 17th century, many Dutch settlers immigrated to the New World, including individuals bearing the Hendershot name or its variations. One of the earliest documented instances of the surname in America is found in the records of the Dutch Reformed Church in New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) in the 1650s.
Notable individuals with the surname Hendershot throughout history include William Hendershot (1804-1892), an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives in the mid-19th century. John Hendershot (1823-1903) was a prominent farmer and landowner in Portage County, Ohio, during the late 19th century.
In the 18th century, the Hendershot surname appeared in various parts of Pennsylvania, particularly in the areas settled by German and Dutch immigrants. One such example is Jacob Hendershot (1745-1824), a farmer and miller who lived in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
Another notable figure with this surname was Samuel Hendershot (1810-1892), a Methodist minister and abolitionist from New Jersey who played an active role in the Underground Railroad, helping to free enslaved individuals during the American Civil War era.
The Hendershot name has also been associated with several place names in the United States, such as Hendershot Bridge in Pennsylvania and Hendershot Hill in Ohio, reflecting the presence and influence of families bearing this surname in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hendershot
Among Census respondents with the surname Hendershot, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hendershot 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 Hendershot surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 5,297
- Two or more races3.4% · 196
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 174
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 29
- Black or African American0.3% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hendershot
Hendershot 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
#5,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,963
-4 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 2.02
Rank movement Down 436 places
2020
#5,803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,744
-219 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.92
Rank movement Up 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,369 | 5,967 | 2.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,805 | 5,963 | 2.02 | -4 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 436 places |
| 2020 | #5,803 | 5,744 | 1.92 | -219 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 2 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 Hendershot 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 | #5,805 | #5,803 | 0.0% |
| Count | 5,963 | 5,744 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.02 | 1.92 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hendershot bearers went from 5,963 to 5,744 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,805 to #5,803.
FAQ
Hendershot surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hendershot?
Name Census estimates that about 6,587 living Americans carry the surname Hendershot. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,035 residents.
How common is Hendershot?
Hendershot ranks #5,803 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,744 people with the surname Hendershot. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,587), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hendershot.
Has Hendershot become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hendershot went from 5,963 recorded bearers to 5,744. That is a decrease of 219 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,805 to #5,803.
What does the Census say about the background of Hendershot?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hendershot, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Hendershot in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (5,297 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hendershot appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Hendershot (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 Hendershot mean?
Derived from a nickname for an excellent marksman or hunter skilled with a handgun or arquebus. 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 Hendershot (1.92 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 share the surname Hendershot?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.