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

Hepburn, 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 Hepburn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hepburn in America

Hepburn is the 9350th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hepburn surname appeared 3,479 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hepburn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hepburn 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 Hepburn

The surname Hepburn is of Scottish origin, derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, Scotland. The name is believed to have originated in the 12th century and is thought to come from the Old English words "hep" meaning "bramble" and "burn" meaning "stream" or "small river."

The earliest recorded instance of the Hepburn name dates back to around 1160, when it was mentioned in the Charter Rolls of King William the Lion of Scotland. It is also recorded in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls rendered to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners.

One of the earliest and most notable Hepburns was Sir Adam Hepburn, who lived in the 13th century and was a prominent Scottish knight and landowner. He fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England.

The Hepburn family played a significant role in Scottish history, with several members holding important positions and titles. Sir Patrick Hepburn, who lived from around 1285 to 1325, was a Scottish nobleman and fought alongside King Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

In the 15th century, Patrick Hepburn, 1st Lord Hailes (c. 1390-1482), was a prominent Scottish statesman and one of the most powerful nobles in Scotland during his time. He served as Lord High Admiral of Scotland and was a trusted advisor to several Scottish kings.

Another notable Hepburn was James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell (c. 1536-1578), who was briefly married to Mary, Queen of Scots. He was a controversial figure and played a significant role in the turbulent events surrounding Mary's reign and eventual downfall.

Over time, the Hepburn name spread beyond Scotland, with descendants settling in various parts of the world, including England, Ireland, and North America. Some notable individuals with the Hepburn surname include Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993), the iconic British actress known for her roles in films such as "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "Roman Holiday," and Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003), the legendary American actress who won four Academy Awards for Best Actress.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hepburn

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

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

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

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