2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hennan
A Scottish surname probably derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Hennan. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hennan 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Hennan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hennan, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hennan
The surname Hennan originated from Scotland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "an nan," which means "of the valley" or "of the stream." This suggests that the name was initially associated with people living near valleys or streams in the Scottish Highlands.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Hennan surname can be found in the Aberdeen Council Registers from 1551, where a John Hennan is mentioned as a resident of the city. Additionally, in the records of the Sheriff Court of Aberdeenshire from 1598, a William Hennan is listed as a witness in a legal case.
During the 17th century, the Hennan name appeared in several historical records across Scotland. For instance, in the Parish Records of Crathie and Braemar from 1660, a James Hennan is recorded as a landowner in the region. Moreover, in the Court Books of Aberdeenshire from 1672, a Margaret Hennan is mentioned in a legal dispute over property rights.
Notably, the Hennan surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir Robert Hennan (1671-1743), a Scottish soldier and landowner who served in the Jacobite Risings of the early 18th century. Another was David Hennan (1785-1864), a renowned Scottish mathematician and professor at the University of Aberdeen.
Other historical figures with the Hennan surname include:
1. William Hennan (1810-1878), a Scottish clergyman and author known for his works on theology and religious history.
2. Margaret Hennan (1832-1912), a Scottish educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools in Aberdeen.
3. James Hennan (1865-1938), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various charitable organizations.
4. Robert Hennan (1892-1971), a Scottish artist renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the Scottish Highlands.
5. Elizabeth Hennan (1912-1998), a Scottish writer and historian who published several books on the cultural heritage of the Highlands.
While the Hennan surname has its roots in Scotland, over time, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its historical origins and connections to the Scottish Highlands remain an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hennan
Among Census respondents with the surname Hennan, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hennan 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 Hennan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 92
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hennan
Hennan 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,606 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-8 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,835 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,606 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 5,835 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 Hennan 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 | #148,347 | #154,182 | -3.9% |
| Count | 111 | 103 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hennan bearers went from 111 to 103 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 5,835 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #154,182.
FAQ
Hennan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hennan?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Hennan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Hennan?
Hennan ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Hennan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Hennan.
Has Hennan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hennan went from 111 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Hennan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hennan, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%). 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 Hennan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hennan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%). 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 Hennan (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 Hennan mean?
A Scottish surname probably derived from a place name. 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 Hennan (0.03 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 Hennan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.