2000
#9,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,291
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.22
Rare Last name
Hepburn
A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place near Haddington, meaning "high burial mound" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,991 Americans carry the last name Hepburn. That puts it at #9,018 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hepburn 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 Hepburn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,882
Census rank
#9,018
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,480 bearers of the surname Hepburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9018th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hepburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (34.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hepburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Hepburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (34.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hepburn 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 Hepburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.4% · 1,962
- Black or African American34.3% · 1,192
- Two or more races4.3% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 145
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hepburn
Hepburn 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
#9,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,479
+188 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 232 places
2020
#9,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,480
+1 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 332 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,118 | 3,291 | 1.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,350 | 3,479 | 1.18 | +188 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 232 places |
| 2020 | #9,018 | 3,480 | 1.16 | +1 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 332 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 Hepburn 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 | #9,350 | #9,018 | 3.6% |
| Count | 3,479 | 3,480 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.16 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hepburn bearers went from 3,479 to 3,480 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 332 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,350 to #9,018.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hepburn
FAQ
Hepburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hepburn?
Name Census estimates that about 3,991 living Americans carry the surname Hepburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,882 residents.
How common is Hepburn?
Hepburn ranks #9,018 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,480 people with the surname Hepburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,991), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Hepburn.
Has Hepburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hepburn went from 3,479 recorded bearers to 3,480. That is an increase of 1 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,350 to #9,018.
What does the Census say about the background of Hepburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hepburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (34.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Hepburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.4% (1,962 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hepburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.4%), Black (34.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Hepburn (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 Hepburn mean?
A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place near Haddington, meaning "high burial mound" in Old English. 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 Hepburn (1.16 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 Hepburn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.