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

Heniff, 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 Heniff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heniff in America

Heniff is the 96799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heniff surname appeared 188 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Heniff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heniff 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 Heniff

The surname HENIFF is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "heanif," which translates to "low-lying meadow." This suggests that the name may have initially been a topographic surname, indicating that the earliest bearers resided in or near a lowland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HENIFF surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire, England, where a Thomas Heniff was documented in 1587. This provides evidence that the name was established in the Midlands region during the late Tudor period.

Another notable early reference to the HENIFF name appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674, which recorded households subject to taxation based on the number of hearths or fireplaces they possessed. This record lists a John Heniff as a resident of the village of Laxton in Northamptonshire.

In the 18th century, the HENIFF surname gained some prominence with the birth of William Heniff (1717-1794), a notable English philosopher and theologian. Hailing from Gloucestershire, Heniff authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy, including "A Treatise on the Nature of Virtue" (1758).

The 19th century saw the emergence of another prominent figure bearing the HENIFF name – Sir Robert Heniff (1832-1901). A distinguished statesman and diplomat, Sir Robert served as the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1885 to 1891, playing a pivotal role in maintaining diplomatic relations between the two nations during a period of political turmoil.

In the realm of literature, the HENIFF surname is associated with the English novelist and playwright, Emily Heniff (1876-1942). Born in Lancashire, Heniff's most notable works include the critically acclaimed novels "The Willow Tree" (1908) and "The Garden of Dreams" (1920), which explored themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships.

While the HENIFF surname may not be among the most common in the English-speaking world, its rich history and diverse connections to notable figures across various fields highlight its enduring legacy as a distinctly British surname with deep roots in the English countryside.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heniff

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!