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

Heron, 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 Heron surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heron in America

Heron is the 8407th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heron surname appeared 3,934 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 Heron.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heron 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 Heron

The surname Heron originated in England and has its roots in the Old French word "heron," which means "heron," the long-legged wading bird. This surname likely first arose as a nickname for someone who bore a resemblance or had characteristics reminiscent of the heron.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Heron can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists individuals bearing the name in various counties across England. One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Robert Heron, who served as Lord Chancellor of England in the 13th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Heron family established themselves as prominent landowners in Northumberland, England. The family's ancestral seat was located at Ford Castle, which was constructed in the 12th century. Several members of the Heron family played significant roles in the conflicts between England and Scotland during this period, including Sir William Heron, who was captured by the Scots at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346.

In the 16th century, the Heron family rose to prominence in Ireland, where they settled in County Tipperary. One of the most notable figures from this branch of the family was Sir Richard Heron, who served as Chief Secretary for Ireland in the late 16th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Heron throughout history include:

1. Patrick Heron (1920-1999), a British abstract painter and art critic.
2. Matilda Heron (1868-1952), an American actress and singer who performed on the vaudeville circuit in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
3. Gilbert Heron (1872-1936), a Scottish footballer who played for various clubs in England and Scotland, including Rangers and Preston North End.
4. Gavin Heron (1956-2023), a Scottish journalist and author who wrote extensively about Scottish politics and culture.
5. Fanny Heron (1819-1897), a British author and philanthropist who founded the Fanny Heron Memorial Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan.

The surname Heron has been found in various spellings throughout history, including Heron, Hearon, Herron, and Heroun, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. Today, the name Heron continues to be prevalent in many parts of the world, particularly in England, Scotland, Ireland, and North America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heron

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

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 Heron 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 Heron 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 Heron was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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