2000
#14,550
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,878
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Herber
A Germanic occupational surname referring to an innkeeper or hotelier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,163 Americans carry the last name Herber. That puts it at #15,037 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herber 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
2.2K
1 in 158,462
Census rank
#15,037
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,886 bearers of the surname Herber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15037th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herber, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herber
The surname Herber has its origins in medieval England, emerging in the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "herebeorg," which translates to "army shelter" or "military camp." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked at a military encampment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where a certain William Herberd is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that time period, as they were often based on local dialects and pronunciations.
In the 13th century, the Herber name appeared in various records across England, including the Curia Regis Rolls of Berkshire from 1221, which mention a Robert Herberd. The Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 also reference a John Herebert, further demonstrating the evolving spelling of the name.
During the 14th century, the Herber surname continued to gain prominence. One notable figure from this era was Roger Herber, a merchant and burgess of Bristol, who was recorded in the city's annals in the late 1300s. Additionally, the Poll Tax records of 1379 list a John Herber from Yorkshire.
The 15th century saw the Herber name spread across various regions of England. In 1428, a Thomas Herber was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1524 referenced a Robert Herber.
One of the most renowned individuals bearing the Herber surname was Sir William Herber (1578-1657), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire during the reign of King Charles I.
Other notable figures with the Herber surname include:
1. John Herber (1553-1613), an English theologian and author of several religious works.
2. Thomas Herber (1688-1754), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge.
3. Mary Herber (1701-1768), a Scottish poet and writer, known for her collection of poems titled "Miscellaneous Poems."
4. Edward Herber (1775-1848), an English naval officer and explorer who was involved in surveying and mapping various regions of the Pacific Ocean.
Throughout its history, the Herber surname has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations, some of which may have influenced its spelling or pronunciation over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herber
Among Census respondents with the surname Herber, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Herber 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 Herber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 1,630
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 157
- Two or more races2.5% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 26
- Black or African American1.0% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herber
Herber 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
#18,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,490
-388 bearers (-20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 3,973 places
2020
#15,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,886
+396 bearers (+26.6%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 3,486 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,550 | 1,878 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,523 | 1,490 | 0.51 | -388 bearers (-20.7%) | Down 3,973 places |
| 2020 | #15,037 | 1,886 | 0.63 | +396 bearers (+26.6%) | Up 3,486 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 Herber 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 | #18,523 | #15,037 | 18.8% |
| Count | 1,490 | 1,886 | 26.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.63 | 23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herber bearers went from 1,490 to 1,886 (+26.6% change). The surname moved up 3,486 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,523 to #15,037.
FAQ
Herber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herber?
Name Census estimates that about 2,163 living Americans carry the surname Herber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,462 residents.
How common is Herber?
Herber ranks #15,037 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,886 people with the surname Herber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,163), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Herber.
Has Herber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herber went from 1,490 recorded bearers to 1,886. That is an increase of 396 (+26.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,523 to #15,037.
What does the Census say about the background of Herber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herber, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Herber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (1,630 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (8.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Herber (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 Herber mean?
A Germanic occupational surname referring to an innkeeper or hotelier. 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 Herber (0.63 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 Herber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.