2000
#1,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,776
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.56
Uncommon Last name
Herron
An English toponymic surname derived from places meaning "hill frequented by herons" or "heron pond."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,184 Americans carry the last name Herron. That puts it at #1,352 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,745 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herron 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 Herron with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,745
Census rank
#1,352
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,450 bearers of the surname Herron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1352nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herron, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Black (22.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herron
The surname Herron is believed to have originated in Ireland, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Oireán," which means "little green." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a small green or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by monks in the 15th century. These annals mention a person named Amhlaibh Oireán, who lived in the late 12th century.
The surname Herron is also closely linked to the region of County Down in Northern Ireland. Historical records indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in the baronies of Iveagh and Kinelearty, which were once part of the ancient kingdom of Ulaidh.
In the 17th century, during the Plantation of Ulster, many Herrons were among the Scottish and English settlers who were granted land in Ireland. This influx of settlers likely contributed to the further spread and establishment of the surname in the region.
One notable figure from history bearing the Herron surname is Francis Herron (1774-1858), an Irish-born naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He achieved the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his distinguished service.
Another prominent individual was Robert Herron (1795-1858), an American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and was appointed as the first Governor of the Washington Territory in 1853.
In the literary world, there was George D. Herron (1862-1925), an American Christian socialist and author who wrote extensively on social and economic issues. He was also a professor of applied Christianity at Grinnell College in Iowa.
The name Herron has also been associated with several notable figures in the field of sports. One example is Michael Herron (born 1979), a former professional ice hockey player from Canada who played in the National Hockey League for teams like the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.
Finally, it is worth mentioning Francis J. Herron (1837-1902), a Union Army general who fought in the American Civil War. He played a significant role in several major battles, including the Battle of Stones River and the Battle of Chickamauga.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herron
Among Census respondents with the surname Herron, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Black (22.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Herron 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 Herron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.9% · 17,276
- Black or African American22.5% · 5,730
- Two or more races4.6% · 1,176
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 963
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 182
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 123
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herron
Herron 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
#1,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,559
+783 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 9.00
Rank movement Down 80 places
2020
#1,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,450
-1,109 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 8.51
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,248 | 25,776 | 9.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,328 | 26,559 | 9.00 | +783 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 80 places |
| 2020 | #1,352 | 25,450 | 8.51 | -1,109 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 24 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 Herron 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 | #1,328 | #1,352 | -1.8% |
| Count | 26,559 | 25,450 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 9.00 | 8.51 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herron bearers went from 26,559 to 25,450 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,328 to #1,352.
FAQ
Herron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herron?
Name Census estimates that about 29,184 living Americans carry the surname Herron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,745 residents.
How common is Herron?
Herron ranks #1,352 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,450 people with the surname Herron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,184), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Herron.
Has Herron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herron went from 26,559 recorded bearers to 25,450. That is a decrease of 1,109 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,328 to #1,352.
What does the Census say about the background of Herron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herron, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Black (22.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Herron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.9% (17,276 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.9%), Black (22.5%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Herron (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 Herron mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from places meaning "hill frequented by herons" or "heron pond." 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 Herron (8.51 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 Herron?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.