2000
#13,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,985
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Henthorn
Derived from a place name meaning "deer enclosure" in Old English, referring to a fenced area for deer hunting.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,140 Americans carry the last name Henthorn. That puts it at #15,162 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,166 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Henthorn 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 Henthorn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 160,166
Census rank
#15,162
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,866 bearers of the surname Henthorn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15162nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Henthorn, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Henthorn
The surname Henthorn originates from England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from a place name in Lancashire or Yorkshire. The name likely comes from the Old English words "henn" meaning "hen" and "thorn," referring to a thorn bush or patch of land where hens were kept.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Henthorn can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1175, where a person named Richard de Henthorn is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the surname appears in various records, including the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1260, where a Robert de Henthorn is listed. The spelling variations during this period include Henthorne, Hentorn, and Henturn.
A notable early bearer of the surname was John Henthorn, who served as the Sheriff of Lancashire in 1378. This indicates that the Henthorn family had gained some prominence and standing in the local community by the late 14th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname is found in various parish records and tax rolls across northern England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. One noteworthy individual from this period was William Henthorn (1565-1623), a prominent merchant and landowner in Manchester.
In the 18th century, the Henthorn surname spread to other parts of England and beyond. James Henthorn (1735-1815) was a Scottish mathematician and author who made significant contributions to the field of education.
As the centuries progressed, the surname continued to be represented in various fields. William Henthorn (1820-1892) was a British botanist and horticulturist, known for his work on the cultivation of orchids.
Another prominent bearer of the surname was Sir Frederick Henthorn (1855-1932), a British engineer and industrialist who played a crucial role in the development of the modern bicycle and motorcycle industry.
While the surname Henthorn is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the northern regions of England, where it originated as a locational name derived from a place associated with hens and thorn bushes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Henthorn
Among Census respondents with the surname Henthorn, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Henthorn 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 Henthorn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 1,690
- Two or more races5.0% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Henthorn
Henthorn 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
#14,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,054
+69 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 576 places
2020
#15,162
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,866
-188 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 643 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,943 | 1,985 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,519 | 2,054 | 0.70 | +69 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 576 places |
| 2020 | #15,162 | 1,866 | 0.62 | -188 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 643 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 Henthorn 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 | #14,519 | #15,162 | -4.4% |
| Count | 2,054 | 1,866 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.62 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Henthorn bearers went from 2,054 to 1,866 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 643 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,519 to #15,162.
FAQ
Henthorn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Henthorn?
Name Census estimates that about 2,140 living Americans carry the surname Henthorn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,166 residents.
How common is Henthorn?
Henthorn ranks #15,162 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,866 people with the surname Henthorn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,140), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Henthorn.
Has Henthorn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Henthorn went from 2,054 recorded bearers to 1,866. That is a decrease of 188 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,519 to #15,162.
What does the Census say about the background of Henthorn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Henthorn, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Henthorn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (1,690 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Henthorn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Henthorn (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 Henthorn mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "deer enclosure" in Old English, referring to a fenced area for deer hunting. 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 Henthorn (0.62 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 Henthorn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.