2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Herforth
A locative surname derived from a place name meaning "army crossing" or "military ford".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Herforth. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herforth 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Herforth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herforth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herforth
The surname Herforth is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "here," meaning army, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing or a ford. The combination of these words suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a ford used by soldiers or an army.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Herforth can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
The surname Herforth has several variations in spelling, including Hereford, Herford, and Hertford. These variations are likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in written records during the Middle Ages. The name is also closely related to the place name Hertford, which was originally called Herutford or Hereforda in Old English.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Herforth. One of the earliest recorded was William de Herforth, a landowner in Hertfordshire mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1166. Another prominent figure was John Herforth (c. 1350-1415), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 14th and 15th centuries.
In the 16th century, Edward Herforth (1505-1572) was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1561 until his death. During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sir Thomas Herforth (1590-1659) was a Royalist commander who fought in several significant battles against the Parliamentary forces.
More recently, John Herforth (1810-1892) was a prominent British industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Lancashire during the Industrial Revolution.
These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence of the surname Herforth in English history, with its origins dating back to the medieval period and its continued use among notable figures over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herforth
Among Census respondents with the surname Herforth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Herforth 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 Herforth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herforth
Herforth 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,299 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-14 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 4,299 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 13,111 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 Herforth 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 | #139,228 | #152,339 | -9.4% |
| Count | 120 | 106 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herforth bearers went from 120 to 106 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 13,111 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #152,339.
FAQ
Herforth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herforth?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Herforth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Herforth?
Herforth ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Herforth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Herforth.
Has Herforth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herforth went from 120 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Herforth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herforth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Herforth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herforth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Hispanic (1.9%), Black (0.9%). 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 Herforth (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 Herforth mean?
A locative surname derived from a place name meaning "army crossing" or "military ford". 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 Herforth (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 many Americans have the surname Herforth?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.