2000
#7,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,275
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Herren
A surname of German origin referring to a lord, master, or one who employs others.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,314 Americans carry the last name Herren. That puts it at #8,429 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,452 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herren 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
4.3K
1 in 79,452
Census rank
#8,429
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,762 bearers of the surname Herren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8429th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herren, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herren
The surname Herren has its origins in Germany, where it emerged in the Middle Ages, likely around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "herre," meaning "lord" or "master." This word in turn stems from the Old High German "herro," which has its roots in the Proto-Germanic "heriz" or "hers," meaning "head" or "chief."
In its earliest form, the name was likely used as a title or descriptor for someone of authority, such as a landowner or nobleman. Over time, it transitioned into a hereditary surname, passed down from generation to generation. The name may have also been adopted by those who worked or lived on the land of a "herre" or lord.
Early records of the name can be found in various medieval documents and manuscripts, including the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus from the 13th century, which mentions individuals with the surname Herren. Additionally, the Liber Censuum Episcopatus Bambergensis, a 14th-century census of the Bamberg Diocese, contains entries for several Herren families.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Herren was Konrad Herren, a knight and landowner who lived in the Rhineland region of Germany in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was Johannes Herren, a scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century and was a prominent figure at the University of Heidelberg.
In the 16th century, the name appears in connection with the German Reformation. Hans Herren, a Lutheran pastor born in 1502, was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a role in the spread of Protestant teachings in central Germany.
The 17th century saw the rise of Johann Herren, a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Imperial Chamber Court (Reichskammergericht) in the city of Speyer. His legal writings and rulings were widely influential during his time.
Another notable figure was Karl Herren, an 18th-century architect and builder who was responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the Swabian region of southwestern Germany. His work showcased the Baroque architectural style popular during that era.
As the name spread beyond Germany, it took on various spellings and variations, such as Herring, Hering, and Härring, reflecting local linguistic influences and adaptations. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the concept of lordship or authority.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herren
Among Census respondents with the surname Herren, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Herren 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 Herren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 3,309
- Two or more races4.0% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 131
- Black or African American2.9% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herren
Herren 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
#7,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,466
+191 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 261 places
2020
#8,429
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,762
-704 bearers (-15.8%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 966 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,202 | 4,275 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,463 | 4,466 | 1.51 | +191 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 261 places |
| 2020 | #8,429 | 3,762 | 1.26 | -704 bearers (-15.8%) | Down 966 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 Herren 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 | #7,463 | #8,429 | -12.9% |
| Count | 4,466 | 3,762 | -15.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.26 | -16.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herren bearers went from 4,466 to 3,762 (-15.8% change). The surname moved down 966 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,463 to #8,429.
FAQ
Herren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herren?
Name Census estimates that about 4,314 living Americans carry the surname Herren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,452 residents.
How common is Herren?
Herren ranks #8,429 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 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 3,762 people with the surname Herren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 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 Herren.
Has Herren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herren went from 4,466 recorded bearers to 3,762. That is a decrease of 704 (-15.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,463 to #8,429.
What does the Census say about the background of Herren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herren, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Herren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (3,309 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Herren (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 Herren mean?
A surname of German origin referring to a lord, master, or one who employs others. 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 Herren (1.26 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 share the surname Herren?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.