2000
#6,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,712
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.75
Rare Last name
Henshaw
A locational surname referring to someone who lived by or worked at a hen-roost or hen-house.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,152 Americans carry the last name Henshaw. That puts it at #7,174 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,528 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Henshaw 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 Henshaw with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,528
Census rank
#7,174
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,493 bearers of the surname Henshaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7174th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Henshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Henshaw
The surname Henshaw has its roots in England, originating during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "henn" meaning "hen" and "sceaga" meaning "small wood or thicket." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where hens were kept in a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Heneshale" in Staffordshire. This ancient record provides evidence that the name was already established in England by the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Henneshalgh" and "Henneshagh" in Lancashire and Cheshire respectively. These variations reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
Notable individuals with the surname Henshaw throughout history include John Henshaw (c.1592-1659), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Wigan during the English Civil War. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Henshaw (1618-1700), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Cheshire.
In the 18th century, Joseph Henshaw (1776-1842) was a prominent English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Moving into the 19th century, we find David Henshaw (1790-1852), an American politician and businessman who served as the 16th United States Secretary of the Navy under President John Tyler.
Lastly, in the 20th century, John Patrick Michael Henshaw (1912-1999) was a British actor and comedian, best known for his roles in films such as "Carry On Sergeant" and "Carry On Constable."
Throughout its history, the surname Henshaw has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the northwest counties of Lancashire and Cheshire, where it is believed to have originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Henshaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Henshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Henshaw 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 Henshaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 3,901
- Two or more races5.3% · 237
- Black or African American3.3% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Henshaw
Henshaw 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
#7,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,765
+53 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 398 places
2020
#7,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,493
-272 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 153 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,623 | 4,712 | 1.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,021 | 4,765 | 1.62 | +53 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 398 places |
| 2020 | #7,174 | 4,493 | 1.50 | -272 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 153 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 Henshaw 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 | #7,021 | #7,174 | -2.2% |
| Count | 4,765 | 4,493 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.50 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Henshaw bearers went from 4,765 to 4,493 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 153 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,021 to #7,174.
FAQ
Henshaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Henshaw?
Name Census estimates that about 5,152 living Americans carry the surname Henshaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,528 residents.
How common is Henshaw?
Henshaw ranks #7,174 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,493 people with the surname Henshaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,152), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Henshaw.
Has Henshaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Henshaw went from 4,765 recorded bearers to 4,493. That is a decrease of 272 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,021 to #7,174.
What does the Census say about the background of Henshaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Henshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Henshaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (3,901 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Henshaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Black (3.3%). 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 Henshaw (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 Henshaw mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived by or worked at a hen-roost or hen-house. 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 Henshaw (1.50 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 Henshaw?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.