2000
#46,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 432
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Henner
A German surname derived from a pet form of the given name Heinrich.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 380 Americans carry the last name Henner. That puts it at #64,820 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 901,985 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Henner 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Henner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
380
1 in 901,985
Census rank
#64,820
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
331
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 331 bearers of the surname Henner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 64820th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Henner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Henner
The surname Henner has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, where it was likely derived from the Old German word "henne," meaning "chicken" or "hen."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Henner can be found in the town records of Lübeck, a historic city in northern Germany, dating back to the late 1500s. These records document the presence of several families bearing the Henner surname, suggesting that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.
In the 17th century, the Henner surname began to spread throughout other parts of Germany, with various local variations in spelling, such as Hener, Hehner, and Henner. This was a common occurrence during that era, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet widely adopted.
One notable historical figure bearing the Henner surname was Johann Gottfried Henner (1685-1754), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Halle. His writings on ethics and moral philosophy were widely influential during the Age of Enlightenment.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Carl Wilhelm Henner (1784-1864), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and historical scenes. His works were exhibited throughout Europe and are now held in various museum collections.
In the 19th century, the Henner name gained international recognition through the accomplishments of Jean-Jacques Henner (1829-1905), a French painter of German descent. Henner was renowned for his masterful depictions of the female form and his use of soft, hazy lighting. Several of his works can be found in the Louvre and other prestigious art museums.
Other notable individuals with the Henner surname include Friedrich Henner (1786-1868), a German jurist and legal scholar who made significant contributions to the development of German civil law, and Katharina Henner (1888-1978), a German composer and pianist celebrated for her modernist compositions.
While the Henner surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the northern regions of Germany, where it emerged as a distinctive surname several centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Henner
Among Census respondents with the surname Henner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Henner 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 Henner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 303
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 13
- Two or more races2.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Henner
Henner 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
#63,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 312
-120 bearers (-27.8%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 17,447 places
2020
#64,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 331
+19 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 947 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,426 | 432 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #63,873 | 312 | 0.11 | -120 bearers (-27.8%) | Down 17,447 places |
| 2020 | #64,820 | 331 | 0.11 | +19 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 947 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 Henner 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 | #63,873 | #64,820 | -1.5% |
| Count | 312 | 331 | 6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Henner bearers went from 312 to 331 (+6.1% change). The surname moved down 947 positions in the national ranking, going from #63,873 to #64,820.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Henner
FAQ
Henner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Henner?
Name Census estimates that about 380 living Americans carry the surname Henner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 901,985 residents.
How common is Henner?
Henner ranks #64,820 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 331 people with the surname Henner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (380), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Henner.
Has Henner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Henner went from 312 recorded bearers to 331. That is an increase of 19 (+6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #63,873 to #64,820.
What does the Census say about the background of Henner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Henner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Henner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (303 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Henner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Henner (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 Henner mean?
A German surname derived from a pet form of the given name Heinrich. 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 Henner (0.11 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 Americans have the surname Henner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.