2000
#105,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Henger
A German surname meaning someone who engaged in horse breeding or trading.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 155 Americans carry the last name Henger. That puts it at #131,120 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,211,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Henger 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
155
1 in 2,211,318
Census rank
#131,120
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
135
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 135 bearers of the surname Henger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 131120th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Henger, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Henger
The surname Henger originates from the German language, and it is believed to have first appeared in the region of Bavaria during the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "henger," which means "one who hangs" or "executioner."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Henger can be found in the Bavarian town records from the 15th century, where it was spelled as "Hengner." This variation in spelling was common during that time period, as there were no standardized rules for writing surnames.
The name Henger was likely an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as executioners or hangmen. In medieval times, these professions were often hereditary, and the surnames were passed down from generation to generation. It is also possible that the name was initially a nickname given to someone who had a peculiar habit or mannerism related to hanging or suspension.
One notable historical figure with the surname Henger was Hans Henger, a 16th-century German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. He was born around 1500 and is known for his intricate woodcut illustrations, particularly those depicting biblical scenes and landscapes.
In the 17th century, the name Henger appears in several records from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. One such record mentions a Georg Henger, who was a member of the town council in the 1660s.
Another individual of note was Johann Henger, a German Protestant theologian and philosopher who lived from 1667 to 1744. He served as a professor of philosophy and theology at the University of Wittenberg and was known for his writings on ethics and natural law.
In the 19th century, a family by the name of Henger immigrated from Germany to the United States, settling in the state of Pennsylvania. One of their descendants, William Henger (1833-1917), became a successful businessman and philanthropist, founding the Henger Toy Company in Philadelphia.
The Henger surname also has variations and connections to other German names, such as Hänger, Henker, and Henkner, which share similar etymological roots and meanings related to hanging or execution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Henger
Among Census respondents with the surname Henger, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Henger 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 Henger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.3% · 134
- Two or more races0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Henger
Henger 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
#114,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
-4 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 9,050 places
2020
#131,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
-18 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 16,696 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,374 | 157 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #114,424 | 153 | 0.05 | -4 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 9,050 places |
| 2020 | #131,120 | 135 | 0.05 | -18 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 16,696 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 Henger 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 | #114,424 | #131,120 | -14.6% |
| Count | 153 | 135 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Henger bearers went from 153 to 135 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 16,696 positions in the national ranking, going from #114,424 to #131,120.
FAQ
Henger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Henger?
Name Census estimates that about 155 living Americans carry the surname Henger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,211,318 residents.
How common is Henger?
Henger ranks #131,120 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 135 people with the surname Henger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (155), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Henger.
Has Henger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Henger went from 153 recorded bearers to 135. That is a decrease of 18 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #114,424 to #131,120.
What does the Census say about the background of Henger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Henger, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.7%). 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 Henger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.3% (134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Henger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.3%), Two or More Races (0.7%). 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 Henger (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 Henger mean?
A German surname meaning someone who engaged in horse breeding or trading. 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 Henger (0.05 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 have the last name Henger?
Find out how many people have the last name Henger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.