2000
#142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 161,392
First available Census row
Per 100,000 59.83
Common Last name
Henry
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Henry, which originated from the Germanic name Heimirich, meaning "home ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 191,056 Americans carry the last name Henry. That puts it at #153 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 55.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,794 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Henry 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 Henry with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
191K
1 in 1,794
Census rank
#153
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
55.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
167K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 166,610 bearers of the surname Henry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 55.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Henry, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.1%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Henry
The surname HENRY originated in England and France during the Middle Ages, derived from the medieval personal name Henri. This name is ultimately derived from the Germanic name Heimrich, composed of the elements "heim" meaning "home" and "ric" meaning "power, ruler." The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 11th century in various forms, including Henri, Henric, and Henricus.
In England, the surname HENRY can be traced back to the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman settlers bearing the name arrived in the country. The Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England, includes several entries for individuals with the surname HENRY or its variants. One notable example is Robert Henric, recorded as a landholder in Hertfordshire.
The surname HENRY gained prominence in England during the reign of the Plantagenet dynasty, particularly under the reign of King Henry II (1133-1189), who was responsible for significant legal and administrative reforms. This association with royalty likely contributed to the surname's widespread adoption and distribution across various regions of England.
Some notable historical figures bearing the surname HENRY include:
1. William Henry (c. 1216-1272), a prominent English judge and legal scholar during the reign of Henry III.
2. Patrick Henry (1736-1799), an American orator and statesman, best known for his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech.
3. Joseph Henry (1797-1878), an American scientist renowned for his contributions to the field of electromagnetism and his role in the founding of the Smithsonian Institution.
4. O. Henry (1862-1910), the pen name of William Sydney Porter, an American writer known for his short stories with memorable twist endings.
5. Edward Henry (1828-1904), an English industrialist and manufacturer of matches, known for his innovative safety match design.
The surname HENRY has been associated with various place names throughout its history, such as Henryville in Indiana, named after the prominent Henry family in the area, and Henrico County in Virginia, named after Prince Henry, the son of King James I of England.
Overall, the surname HENRY has a rich history spanning multiple countries and centuries, reflecting its origins in medieval Europe and its subsequent spread and adoption across various regions and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Henry
Among Census respondents with the surname Henry, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.1%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Henry 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 Henry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.1% · 96,813
- Black or African American30.9% · 51,492
- Two or more races4.3% · 7,190
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 6,384
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2,954
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 1,777
Timeline
Historical Census data for Henry
Henry 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
#149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170,964
+9,572 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 57.96
Rank movement Down 7 places
2020
#153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166,610
-4,354 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 55.74
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142 | 161,392 | 59.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149 | 170,964 | 57.96 | +9,572 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 7 places |
| 2020 | #153 | 166,610 | 55.74 | -4,354 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 4 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 Henry 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 | #149 | #153 | -2.7% |
| Count | 170,964 | 166,610 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 57.96 | 55.74 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Henry bearers went from 170,964 to 166,610 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #149 to #153.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Henry
FAQ
Henry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Henry?
Name Census estimates that about 191,056 living Americans carry the surname Henry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,794 residents.
How common is Henry?
Henry ranks #153 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 55.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 56 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 166,610 people with the surname Henry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (191,056), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 55.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 55.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 56 of them to have the surname Henry.
Has Henry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Henry went from 170,964 recorded bearers to 166,610. That is a decrease of 4,354 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #149 to #153.
What does the Census say about the background of Henry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Henry, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.1%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Henry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.1% (96,813 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Henry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.1%), Black (30.9%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Henry (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 Henry mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Henry, which originated from the Germanic name Heimirich, meaning "home ruler." 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 Henry (55.74 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 Henry?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.