2000
#7,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,020
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Herald
An occupational surname referring to a royal or official messenger or proclaimer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,426 Americans carry the last name Herald. That puts it at #8,215 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,441 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herald 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 Herald with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,441
Census rank
#8,215
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,860 bearers of the surname Herald in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8215th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herald, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herald
The surname Herald has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "heran," which means "to hear," and is believed to be an occupational surname originally given to town criers or messengers who would announce important news and proclamations.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Herald can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273, where a person named William le Heraud is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Heraud," reflects the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.
During the medieval period, the role of a herald was crucial in the court system and in battles. Heralds were responsible for carrying messages, recording events, and organizing tournaments and ceremonies. As such, the name Herald became associated with individuals who held these positions, and it gradually evolved into a hereditary surname.
In the 14th century, the name Herald was recorded in various historical documents, including the Calendarium Genealogicum and the Feet of Fines, which were records of land transactions. One notable bearer of the name was John Herald, a merchant from London who lived in the mid-1300s.
The Herald family later spread to different parts of England, and variations of the name emerged, such as Herald, Herrald, and Herault. One prominent figure bearing this surname was William Herald (c. 1530-1621), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Teddington in Middlesex.
Other notable individuals with the surname Herald include James Herald (1655-1719), an English author and translator, and William Herald (1779-1855), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
Throughout its history, the surname Herald has been linked to various professions and occupations, including messengers, town criers, heralds in royal courts, and even clergymen, reflecting the diverse roles and responsibilities associated with this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herald
Among Census respondents with the surname Herald, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Herald 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 Herald surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 3,457
- Black or African American3.3% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 110
- Two or more races2.7% · 103
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herald
Herald 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
#7,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,289
+269 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 114 places
2020
#8,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,860
-429 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 476 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,625 | 4,020 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,739 | 4,289 | 1.45 | +269 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 114 places |
| 2020 | #8,215 | 3,860 | 1.29 | -429 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 476 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 Herald 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 | #7,739 | #8,215 | -6.2% |
| Count | 4,289 | 3,860 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.29 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herald bearers went from 4,289 to 3,860 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 476 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,739 to #8,215.
FAQ
Herald surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herald?
Name Census estimates that about 4,426 living Americans carry the surname Herald. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,441 residents.
How common is Herald?
Herald ranks #8,215 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,860 people with the surname Herald. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,426), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Herald.
Has Herald become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herald went from 4,289 recorded bearers to 3,860. That is a decrease of 429 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,739 to #8,215.
What does the Census say about the background of Herald?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herald, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Herald in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (3,457 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herald appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Black (3.3%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Herald (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 Herald mean?
An occupational surname referring to a royal or official messenger or proclaimer. 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 Herald (1.29 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 Herald?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.