2000
#6,000
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,287
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Herd
An occupational surname referring to a keeper or herder of animals, particularly cattle or sheep.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,884 Americans carry the last name Herd. That puts it at #7,527 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,179 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herd 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 Herd with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 70,179
Census rank
#7,527
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,259 bearers of the surname Herd in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7527th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herd, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herd
The surname Herd has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hierde," meaning a herdsman or a keeper of animals. The name was initially an occupational surname, given to individuals whose primary occupation was tending to herds of livestock.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Herd can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1182, where a person named William Hird is mentioned. It is likely that this spelling variation was a result of the interchangeable use of "i" and "e" in Middle English.
In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, the name appears as "le Herde," further solidifying its occupational origins. This record highlights the transition of the name from an occupational descriptor to a hereditary surname during the medieval period.
The Domesday Book, the comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any specific references to the surname Herd. However, it does mention individuals with occupations related to herding, indicating the existence of such professions during the Norman era.
One notable early figure bearing the surname Herd was John Herd, a 14th-century English scholar and theologian. He was born in Yorkshire around 1330 and served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1370 to 1375.
In the 15th century, the surname Herd appears in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1428, where a Thomas Herd is mentioned. This suggests the name's spread across different regions of England during this period.
Richard Herd, a 16th-century English clergyman and academic, was born in Somersetshire in 1580. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1634 to 1635 and was known for his contributions to theological studies.
Thomas Herd, a notable 17th-century English antiquarian and topographer, was born in Oxfordshire in 1635. He is best known for his work "Antiquities of Berkshire," a comprehensive account of the history and antiquities of the county.
In the 18th century, the surname Herd gained prominence through the life and works of David Herd, a Scottish writer and compiler of ballads. Born in 1732 in Lochgelly, Fife, he is renowned for his collection "Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, etc.," published in 1776.
The 19th century saw the rise of William Herd, a Scottish architect who made significant contributions to the development of Glasgow's architecture. Born in 1808 in Stirlingshire, he designed several notable buildings, including the Hutchesons' Hospital and the Glasgow City Chambers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herd
Among Census respondents with the surname Herd, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Herd 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 Herd surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.0% · 3,025
- Black or African American18.6% · 791
- Two or more races5.4% · 231
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 146
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herd
Herd 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
#6,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,803
-484 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Down 982 places
2020
#7,527
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,259
-544 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 545 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,000 | 5,287 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,982 | 4,803 | 1.63 | -484 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 982 places |
| 2020 | #7,527 | 4,259 | 1.42 | -544 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 545 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 Herd 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 | #6,982 | #7,527 | -7.8% |
| Count | 4,803 | 4,259 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.42 | -12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herd bearers went from 4,803 to 4,259 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 545 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,982 to #7,527.
FAQ
Herd surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herd?
Name Census estimates that about 4,884 living Americans carry the surname Herd. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,179 residents.
How common is Herd?
Herd ranks #7,527 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 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 4,259 people with the surname Herd. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,884), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 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 Herd.
Has Herd become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herd went from 4,803 recorded bearers to 4,259. That is a decrease of 544 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,982 to #7,527.
What does the Census say about the background of Herd?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herd, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Herd in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.0% (3,025 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herd appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.0%), Black (18.6%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Herd (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 Herd mean?
An occupational surname referring to a keeper or herder of animals, particularly cattle or sheep. 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 Herd (1.42 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 Herd?
Want to know how many people are called Herd? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.