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

Herring, 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 Herring surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Herring in America

Herring is the 894th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Herring surname appeared 38,733 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Herring.

We can also compare 2010 data for Herring 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 Herring

The surname Herring is of English origin, deriving from the name of the small, edible fish. It is believed to have first emerged as an occupational name for someone who caught or sold herrings, or possibly a nickname for someone who had a particular fondness for eating the fish.

The name can be traced back to the late 12th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Roger Hering, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also list a Hugo Hering from Oxfordshire.

Herring is believed to have originated from the Old English word 'hæring', which itself derived from the Proto-Germanic 'haring-az'. Similar spellings from early records include Hering, Heringaud, and Heryngaud.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several place names that may have influenced the surname's development, such as Hering in Norfolk and Herings in Suffolk.

Notable historical figures with the surname Herring include John Herring (c.1597-1667), an English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Thomas Herring (1693-1757), an English churchman who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1747 until his death.

Another prominent individual was John Frederick Herring (1795-1865), a renowned English painter and illustrator who specialized in depicting horses and other animals. His works can be found in numerous galleries and collections around the world.

In the literary world, John Herring (1591-1665) was an English poet and clergyman, best known for his work 'The Pious Memoirs' published in 1647. Additionally, John Herring (1683-1751) was a Scottish mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of mechanics.

The surname Herring has a long and varied history, with roots stretching back to medieval England. While initially an occupational name, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, clergymen, artists, and scholars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Herring

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

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

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

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