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

Henning, 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 Henning surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Henning in America

Henning is the 2199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Henning surname appeared 16,557 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Henning.

We can also compare 2010 data for Henning 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 Henning

The surname Henning is of German origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German personal name Hanning, which is a combination of the elements "han" meaning "rooster" and "ing" meaning "descendant of". The name was likely initially given as a nickname to someone with rooster-like qualities or perhaps someone who kept roosters.

The earliest known records of the Henning surname date back to the 12th century, appearing in medieval German documents and charters. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Codex Traditionum Lunaelacensium, a 12th-century cartulary from the monastery of Lüneburg, which mentions a "Henningus de Bremis" in 1163.

The name is also found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which includes references to individuals with the surname Henning in the 13th and 14th centuries.

In the 14th century, the Henning family was well-established in the city of Lübeck, a prominent member of the Hanseatic League. Historical records from this period mention several notable individuals with the surname, such as Henning von Hesler (c. 1310-1388), a prominent merchant and member of the city council.

Another notable figure was Henning Arnswaldt (c. 1425-1491), a German military leader and commander of the Teutonic Order, who played a significant role in the Polish-Teutonic War in the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Henning family gained prominence in the region of Saxony. One of the most notable members was Hieronymus Henning (c. 1522-1586), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who served as a court preacher to the Elector of Saxony.

The surname Henning also has a long history in Denmark, where it is believed to have been introduced by German immigrants in the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded Danish individuals with this surname was Henning Henningsen (c. 1570-1630), a wealthy merchant and shipowner from the city of Copenhagen.

Another notable Danish Henning was Henning Frederik von Staffeldt (1767-1808), a poet and writer who was a prominent figure in the Danish Romantic movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Henning

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

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

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

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