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

Henderson, 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 Henderson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Henderson in America

Henderson is the 109th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Henderson surname appeared 218,393 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 74 people would have the surname Henderson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Henderson 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 Henderson

The surname Henderson has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "henn" (chicken) and "tun" (farm or enclosure), combined to form the place name "Hentun" or "Hennedun," meaning a farm or settlement where chickens were raised.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appeared as "Hendersone" in these rolls.

The Henderson name is closely associated with the county of Ayrshire in southwestern Scotland, where it is believed to have originated. The earliest known bearer of the surname was Walter de Hendreston, who was mentioned in a charter dated 1280, granting him lands in the village of Henderstoun (now known as Henderson) near Kilwinning, Ayrshire.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Henderson family played a significant role in the history of Scotland. In the 14th century, a notable figure was Sir John Henderson, a knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

In the 16th century, the Henderson name gained prominence with the birth of Alexander Henderson (1583-1646), a prominent Scottish Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a pivotal role in the Scottish Reformation. He was a key figure in the drafting of the National Covenant of 1638, which sought to preserve the Presbyterian form of church government in Scotland.

Another notable bearer of the Henderson name was Thomas Henderson (1798-1844), a Scottish astronomer and mathematician. He was the first Astronomer Royal for Scotland and made significant contributions to the study of comets and the determination of stellar parallax.

In the literary world, Ebenezer Henderson (1784-1858), a Scottish Congregationalist minister and author, gained recognition for his works on biblical criticism and his translations of Icelandic literature.

The Henderson surname also found its way to the United States, where several individuals made their mark. One such person was Richard Henderson (1735-1785), a prominent judge and land speculator from Virginia, who played a key role in the establishment of the Transylvania Colony in what is now Kentucky.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have borne the surname Henderson throughout history, reflecting its deep roots in Scotland and its widespread influence across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Henderson

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

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

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

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