2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hensz
A variant spelling of the German occupational surname Henz referring to one who raised geese.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Hensz. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hensz 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Hensz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hensz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hensz
The surname HENSZ originated in the Czech Republic during the late 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Czech word "henz," which means "goose." This could suggest that the earliest bearers of the name were involved in the raising or trading of geese.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HENSZ surname can be found in the records of the town of Brno, located in the present-day Czech Republic. In a document dated 1287, a person named Jan HENSZ is mentioned as a landowner in the region.
During the 14th century, the HENSZ surname began to spread beyond the borders of the Czech Republic. In 1312, a merchant named Petr HENSZ is recorded as having traveled to the city of Krakow, Poland, for trade purposes.
In the late 15th century, the HENSZ surname appears in the records of the Holy Roman Empire. In a document from 1487, a soldier named Hans HENSZ is listed as having fought in the Battle of Mokerheide, a conflict between the forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands.
One notable bearer of the HENSZ surname was Karel HENSZ (1567-1623), a Czech mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of the Gregorian calendar. He worked alongside Johannes Kepler and is credited with refining the calculations for the new calendar system.
Another prominent individual with the HENSZ surname was Anna HENSZ (1683-1741), a Polish painter known for her religious artwork. Several of her paintings can still be found in churches throughout Poland, including the Church of St. Mary in Krakow.
In the 18th century, the HENSZ surname appears in the records of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1749, a document mentions a soldier named Josef HENSZ serving in the imperial army during the War of the Austrian Succession.
One of the most notable figures in the history of the HENSZ surname was Jan HENSZ (1801-1866), a Czech composer and conductor. He is credited with introducing the works of Ludwig van Beethoven to audiences in Prague and was a prominent figure in the Czech National Revival movement.
During the 19th century, the HENSZ surname continued to spread across Central and Eastern Europe. In 1842, a record shows a family named HENSZ immigrating from the Czech lands to the United States, settling in the state of Wisconsin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hensz
Among Census respondents with the surname Hensz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hensz 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 Hensz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.9% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hensz
Hensz 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+12 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,707 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-11 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 2,707 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 10,499 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 Hensz 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 | #141,140 | #151,639 | -7.4% |
| Count | 118 | 107 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hensz bearers went from 118 to 107 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 10,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #151,639.
FAQ
Hensz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hensz?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Hensz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Hensz?
Hensz ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Hensz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Hensz.
Has Hensz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hensz went from 118 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Hensz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hensz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Hensz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hensz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.9%), Hispanic (8.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Hensz (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 Hensz mean?
A variant spelling of the German occupational surname Henz referring to one who raised geese. 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 Hensz (0.04 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 have the surname Hensz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.