2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hes
A surname derived from a place name in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Hes. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hes 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Hes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hes, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Black (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hes
The surname Hes has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hes" or "hesse," which meant "sedge" or "rush," referring to the marsh plants that grew in wetlands. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near marshy areas or worked with these plants in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where it is spelled "Hesse." This document mentions a person named William Hesse, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "le Hesse," "le Hes," and "atte Hesse," reflecting the use of the prepositions "le" (the) and "atte" (at the) in combination with the surname. These variations were common in medieval England and often indicated a person's place of origin or occupation.
One notable historical figure with the surname Hes was Sir John Hes, a member of the English gentry who lived during the 14th century. He was a landowner in Gloucestershire and served as a knight of the shire (a representative in Parliament) in 1322.
Another individual of note was Robert Hes, born around 1450 in Oxfordshire. He was a prominent merchant and served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1493. Records from that time show him as a wealthy and influential figure in the city's trade and civic affairs.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including "Hesse," "Heys," and "Heas." One notable bearer was Thomas Hes, born in 1518 in Somerset. He was a scholar and clergyman who served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral from 1561 until his death in 1589.
A century later, in the 17th century, the name was sometimes spelled "Hess" or "Hesse." Notable individuals from this period include Bartholomew Hes (1595-1658), a writer and translator who published works on various subjects, including history and religion.
Another prominent figure with the surname was Sir Richard Hes (1612-1679), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. He played a significant role in local politics and was a supporter of the parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.
These examples illustrate the long history and varied spellings of the surname Hes, which has been present in England for centuries and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from scholars and clergymen to merchants and landowners.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hes
Among Census respondents with the surname Hes, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Black (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hes 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 Hes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.3% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 10
- Black or African American6.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9% · 7
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hes
Hes 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+7 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,610 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-14 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,539 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +7 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 2,610 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 14,539 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 Hes 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 | #128,249 | #142,788 | -11.3% |
| Count | 133 | 119 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hes bearers went from 133 to 119 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 14,539 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #142,788.
FAQ
Hes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hes?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Hes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Hes?
Hes ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Hes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Hes.
Has Hes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hes went from 133 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Hes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hes, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Black (6.7%). 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 Hes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.3% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.3%), Hispanic (8.4%), Black (6.7%). 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 Hes (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 Hes mean?
A surname derived from a place name in Germany. 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 Hes (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 Hes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.