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

Henson, 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 Henson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Henson in America

Henson is the 728th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Henson surname appeared 48,013 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 16 people would have the surname Henson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Henson 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 Henson

The surname HENSON is of English origin, deriving from the medieval given name Hen, a diminutive form of Henry. It emerged in the 13th century as a patronymic surname, indicating "son of Hen." The name can be traced back to areas such as Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the late 13th century, with references found in various historical documents. For example, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 mention a Richard Henesonessone, while the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 include a Thomas Henson.

The surname HENSON has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Henson (c.1430-1499), a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1471.

Another significant figure was Reverend Herbert Hensley Henson (1863-1947), an English priest and scholar who served as the Bishop of Durham from 1920 to 1939. He was a renowned theologian and author of numerous works, including "Christian Liberty" and "The Cross and the Crown."

In the world of literature, Joanna Henson (born 1953) is a British author and poet, known for her works such as "The Tinderbox Tales" and "The Aesop Secret." She has received several awards and accolades for her contributions to children's literature.

In the field of aviation, Matthew Henson (1866-1955) was an African American explorer who accompanied Robert Peary on several expeditions to the Arctic, including the famous journey to the North Pole in 1909. He was one of the first individuals to reach the geographic North Pole.

Another notable figure was Jim Henson (1936-1990), the renowned American puppeteer, artist, and filmmaker. He was the creator of the Muppets and the founder of the Jim Henson Company. His work had a profound impact on the entertainment industry and brought joy to millions of children and adults around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Henson

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

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

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

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