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

Herriot, 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 Herriot surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Herriot in America

Herriot is the 85049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Herriot surname appeared 220 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Herriot.

We can also compare 2010 data for Herriot 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 Herriot

The surname Herriot originated in Yorkshire, England, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "heriçon," meaning "hedgehog," which was likely used as a nickname for someone with spiky hair or a prickly personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Herycyon is listed. This spelling suggests that the name was originally pronounced differently from its modern form.

In the 16th century, the Herriot surname is found in the records of the town of Knaresborough, Yorkshire, where a family of that name owned land and property. The name is also mentioned in the parish records of nearby villages, such as Ripley and Hampsthwaite.

A notable bearer of the name was James Herriot, the pen name of James Alfred Wight (1916-1995), a British veterinary surgeon and writer best known for his semi-autobiographical books about his experiences as a country vet in Yorkshire. His first book, "If Only They Could Talk," was published in 1970 and became a bestseller.

Another individual with this surname was John Herriot (1760-1824), a Scottish naturalist and writer who is regarded as one of the founders of modern geology. He was born in East Lothian and authored several works on the geology of Scotland.

In the late 16th century, a family named Herriot held the manor of Sandbeck in Yorkshire, and their descendants later took the surname of Lumley-Savile. One member of this family, Sir John Lumley-Savile (1687-1766), was a prominent politician and served as a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire.

The name Herriot also has connections to the village of Spofforth, near Wetherby in Yorkshire, where a family of that name owned land and property in the 17th century. A notable member of this family was William Herriot (1617-1692), who served as the vicar of Spofforth for over 50 years.

While the surname Herriot is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins in medieval Yorkshire, where it was likely derived from a nickname for someone with a prickly or hedgehog-like appearance or personality.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Herriot

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

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

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

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