2000
#5,577
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,715
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.12
Rare Last name
Herold
An occupational surname for a herald, an official messenger or proclaimer of news and announcements.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,095 Americans carry the last name Herold. That puts it at #6,177 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herold 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 Herold with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,235
Census rank
#6,177
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,315 bearers of the surname Herold in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6177th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herold, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herold
The surname Herold is of German origin, derived from the ancient Germanic word "heru" meaning "army" and "waltan" meaning "to rule" or "to lead". It stems from the occupation of a herald, who served as an officer in medieval armies and bore messages, proclamations, and declarations on behalf of nobles and royals.
In the 11th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Herolt, Herald, and Heralde in medieval German records and manuscripts, reflecting its ancient roots. One of the earliest recorded instances was in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of charters and documents from Saxony, where a certain Herolt von Braunschweig was mentioned in the year 1147.
During the 12th century, the name gained prominence as the role of heralds became more established in feudal societies. In England, the name was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1191, where a William le Heraud is listed.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in connection with the Herold family, a noble lineage from the region of Hesse in central Germany. The family's ancestral seat was located in the town of Heroldstein, which likely influenced the spelling and adoption of the surname.
One notable figure bearing the name was Hans Herold, a German painter and engraver who lived from approximately 1470 to 1551. He is renowned for his intricate woodcut illustrations in various works, including the celebrated Nuremberg Chronicles published in 1493.
Another individual of historical significance was Johann Herold, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1511 to 1567. He played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation and served as a professor of theology at the University of Marburg.
In the 16th century, the name was also found in the Netherlands, where Dirk Herold, a prominent Dutch printer and publisher, operated his business in Antwerp between 1530 and 1567.
In the 17th century, Johann Gottfried Herold, a German botanist and physician, made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy. He was born in 1644 and published several works, including his influential treatise on the plants of the Netherlands, titled "Horti Academici Lugduno-Batavi Catalogus".
The surname Herold continued to be associated with individuals from various professions and backgrounds throughout the subsequent centuries, reflecting its enduring legacy and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herold
Among Census respondents with the surname Herold, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Herold 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 Herold surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 4,735
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 218
- Two or more races3.4% · 180
- Black or African American2.2% · 118
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herold
Herold 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
#6,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,705
-10 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.93
Rank movement Down 451 places
2020
#6,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,315
-390 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,577 | 5,715 | 2.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,028 | 5,705 | 1.93 | -10 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 451 places |
| 2020 | #6,177 | 5,315 | 1.78 | -390 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 149 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 Herold 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 | #6,028 | #6,177 | -2.5% |
| Count | 5,705 | 5,315 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.93 | 1.78 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herold bearers went from 5,705 to 5,315 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 149 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,028 to #6,177.
FAQ
Herold surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herold?
Name Census estimates that about 6,095 living Americans carry the surname Herold. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,235 residents.
How common is Herold?
Herold ranks #6,177 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,315 people with the surname Herold. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,095), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Herold.
Has Herold become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herold went from 5,705 recorded bearers to 5,315. That is a decrease of 390 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,028 to #6,177.
What does the Census say about the background of Herold?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herold, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Herold in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (4,735 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herold appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Herold (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 Herold mean?
An occupational surname for a herald, an official messenger or proclaimer of news and announcements. 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 Herold (1.78 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 people have the surname Herold?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.