2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Herrett
From the Old French herit, meaning heir or inheritor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Herrett. 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 Herrett 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 Herrett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
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 Herrett 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 Herrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herrett
The surname HERRETT is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hare" and "hierde," meaning "hare keeper" or "hare herd." This occupation was likely held by those responsible for tending and managing herds of hares on estates or hunting grounds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HERRETT can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from the year 1230, where a certain William Harret is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.
In the 13th century, the name HERRETT appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire, an ancient record of landowners and their holdings. This document suggests that individuals bearing this surname were involved in agricultural or land-related activities during that period.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the HERRETT surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the surname's development, such as Haredene (Hare Valley) in Gloucestershire and Harewell (Hare Spring) in Wiltshire.
One notable individual with the HERRETT surname was Sir John Herrett (1537-1615), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Heytesbury in Wiltshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another historical figure was Robert Herrett (1575-1654), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who was known for his philanthropic endeavors and support of educational initiatives in his local community.
In the 17th century, the HERRETT surname gained prominence with the birth of William Herrett (1623-1693), a renowned English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theological and philosophical subjects.
The name also has connections to the literary world, with Samuel Herrett (1680-1742), an English poet and playwright whose works were celebrated during the Augustan age of English literature.
Finally, the HERRETT surname gained further recognition in the 19th century with the accomplishments of Thomas Herrett (1801-1875), a renowned architect and civil engineer who was instrumental in the design and construction of several notable buildings and infrastructure projects across England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herrett
Among Census respondents with the surname Herrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Herrett 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 Herrett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 96
- Two or more races6.6% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herrett
Herrett 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-5 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,749 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 14,749 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 807 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 Herrett 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 | #151,532 | #152,339 | -0.5% |
| Count | 108 | 106 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herrett bearers went from 108 to 106 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 807 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,339.
FAQ
Herrett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herrett?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Herrett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Herrett?
Herrett 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 Herrett. 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 Herrett.
Has Herrett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herrett went from 108 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Herrett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Herrett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herrett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (6.6%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Herrett (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 Herrett mean?
From the Old French herit, meaning heir or inheritor. 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 Herrett (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 people share the surname Herrett?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.