Find out how popular the last name Herod is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Herod.

Herod, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Herod surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Herod in America

Herod is the 12817th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Herod surname appeared 2,406 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Herod.

We can also compare 2010 data for Herod to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Herod

The surname Herod traces its origins to the ancient Hebrew name Hêrôdês, which was derived from the Greek Hêrôdês. This name was borne by several rulers of Judea during the period of Roman occupation, the most famous being Herod the Great, who ruled from 37 to 4 BC. The name is believed to be of Idumean or Edomite origin, referring to the Semitic people who inhabited parts of southern Judea and the Negev desert region.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Herod can be found in medieval English records, where it appeared as a variant spelling of the given name. One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Robert Herod, who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Herod was primarily concentrated in England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. It is likely that some bearers of the name adopted it as a reference to their ancestral lineage or as a tribute to the biblical figure of Herod the Great.

In the 14th century, John Herod was recorded as a landowner in the village of Chalgrove, Oxfordshire, in 1327. Another early bearer of the name was William Herod, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1380.

The Herod surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Sir Ralph Herod (c. 1450-1527), an English Member of Parliament and landowner from Wiltshire. Another was Sir William Herod (c. 1530-1588), a prominent lawyer and member of the Inner Temple in London.

In the 17th century, the Herod family became established in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in America was John Herod, who settled in Virginia in 1635. Another notable figure was Thomas Herod (1648-1721), a Quaker preacher and writer who lived in Pennsylvania.

Other notable individuals with the surname Herod include Toby Herod (1811-1883), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire, and Benjamin Herod (1829-1899), a prominent Australian politician and member of the Legislative Council of South Australia.

Overall, the surname Herod has a rich and diverse history, originating from ancient Judea and later becoming established in various parts of England and the British Isles, before spreading to other regions through migration and colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Herod

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Herod.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Herod was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Herod has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Herod was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Herod, please contact us.

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