2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Herce
A Scottish surname derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Herce. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herce 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Herce in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herce, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.7%) and White (12.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herce
The surname HERCE is believed to have its origins in medieval England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "herce," meaning a portcullis or a defensive gate used in fortifications. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or was associated with such a structure.
In the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population across England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are entries that could be interpreted as early spellings or variants of the name HERCE. These include "Hercis" and "Herces," though their exact connection to the modern surname is uncertain.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname HERCE was Sir William Herce, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He was recorded as being from the village of Herce in Gloucestershire, which may have been the place of origin for the name.
Another notable figure was John Herce, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century. He was born in 1521 and played a significant role in the governance of the city, serving as the Sheriff of London in 1565.
In the 17th century, a prominent bearer of the HERCE surname was Thomas Herce, a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Lincolnshire. He was born in 1632 and is credited with several innovations in timepiece design and mechanisms.
During the 18th century, the name HERCE appeared in various records, including parish registers and court documents. One such instance was the marriage of William Herce and Anne Hastings in the village of Hercesmere, Cheshire, in 1764.
Another notable figure from this period was Captain James Herce, a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1741 and is recorded as having participated in several significant battles and engagements.
As the centuries progressed, the HERCE surname continued to be found in various regions of England, with some individuals migrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. However, the name remained relatively uncommon, and its origins and historical significance are rooted in its medieval English beginnings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herce
Among Census respondents with the surname Herce, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.7%) and White (12.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Herce 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 Herce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander47.3% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino35.7% · 40
- White12.5% · 14
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herce
Herce appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,280 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 9,280 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 Herce 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 | #157,234 | #147,954 | 5.9% |
| Count | 103 | 112 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herce bearers went from 103 to 112 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 9,280 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #147,954.
FAQ
Herce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herce?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Herce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Herce?
Herce ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Herce. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Herce.
Has Herce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herce went from 103 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 9 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Herce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herce, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.7%) and White (12.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Herce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.3% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (47.3%), Hispanic (35.7%), White (12.5%). 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 Herce (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 Herce mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name. 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 Herce (0.04 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 common is the surname Herce?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Herce on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.