2000
#44,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 452
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Herro
A variant spelling of the Italian surname Ferro, derived from the Latin "ferrum" meaning iron.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 611 Americans carry the last name Herro. That puts it at #43,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 560,973 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herro 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
611
1 in 560,973
Census rank
#43,628
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
533
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 533 bearers of the surname Herro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 43628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herro, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herro
The surname Herro originates from Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Herr," which means "lord" or "master." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to refer to someone who held a position of authority or nobility.
In the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where the name was most prevalent in its early days, variations such as "Herro" and "Herre" were commonly used. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.
One of the earliest known records of the name can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church books) of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a family by the name of Herro is mentioned in entries from the late 1500s.
As the surname spread across Germany, it is believed to have been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds, including merchants, artisans, and landowners. This diversification led to the name being associated with different professions and social classes over time.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Herro include:
1. Johannes Herro (1590-1648), a renowned German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Jena.
2. Wilhelm Herro (1710-1782), a German composer and organist known for his contributions to the Baroque music tradition.
3. Helene Herro (1845-1912), a German writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and education reform.
4. Otto Herro (1875-1941), a German engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of early automotive technologies.
5. Sigmund Herro (1905-1988), a German-born American artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his abstract expressionist works.
While the surname Herro has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the German language and the regions where it first emerged as a prominent surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herro
Among Census respondents with the surname Herro, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Herro 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 Herro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 449
- Hispanic or Latino8.1% · 43
- Two or more races3.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.0% · 16
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herro
Herro 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
#44,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 485
+33 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 382 places
2020
#43,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 533
+48 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 728 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,738 | 452 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,356 | 485 | 0.16 | +33 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 382 places |
| 2020 | #43,628 | 533 | 0.18 | +48 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 728 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 Herro 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 | #44,356 | #43,628 | 1.6% |
| Count | 485 | 533 | 9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.18 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herro bearers went from 485 to 533 (+9.9% change). The surname moved up 728 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,356 to #43,628.
FAQ
Herro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herro?
Name Census estimates that about 611 living Americans carry the surname Herro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 560,973 residents.
How common is Herro?
Herro ranks #43,628 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 533 people with the surname Herro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (611), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Herro.
Has Herro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herro went from 485 recorded bearers to 533. That is an increase of 48 (+9.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #44,356 to #43,628.
What does the Census say about the background of Herro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herro, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Herro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (449 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Hispanic (8.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Herro (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 Herro mean?
A variant spelling of the Italian surname Ferro, derived from the Latin "ferrum" meaning iron. 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 Herro (0.18 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 Herro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.