2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hesselbein
A German surname derived from the region of Hessen, often denoting one from that place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Hesselbein. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hesselbein 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Hesselbein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesselbein, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hesselbein
The surname Hesselbein originates from Germany, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Hesse, a state in central Germany. The name is derived from the German words "Hesse" and "Bein," which together translate to "from Hesse."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hesselbein can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the principality of Anhalt, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Hesselbein was mentioned in the chronicles of the city of Nuremberg. He was a respected merchant and guild member who played a significant role in the city's economic affairs.
During the 16th century, the Hesselbein family established themselves in the town of Erbach, located in the Odenwald region of Hesse. Records from this period show that several members of the family held positions of importance within the local community.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Hesselbein name was Johann Hesselbein, who was born in 1587 in the village of Reichelsheim, Hesse. He was a respected farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to live in the region for several generations.
In the 19th century, a notable figure named Friedrich Hesselbein (1820-1892) gained recognition as a prominent educator and author. He published several works on pedagogy and teaching methods, which were widely read and influential in his time.
Another notable Hesselbein was Karl Hesselbein (1854-1923), a German industrialist and entrepreneur. He founded the Hesselbein Manufacturing Company, which produced agricultural machinery and became a successful business in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the Hesselbein name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references remain firmly rooted in the German regions of Hesse and its surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hesselbein
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesselbein, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Hesselbein 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 Hesselbein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 118
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hesselbein
Hesselbein 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+2 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,312 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-20 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 6,312 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 18,963 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 Hesselbein 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 | #124,548 | #143,511 | -15.2% |
| Count | 138 | 118 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hesselbein bearers went from 138 to 118 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 18,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #143,511.
FAQ
Hesselbein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hesselbein?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Hesselbein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Hesselbein?
Hesselbein ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Hesselbein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Hesselbein.
Has Hesselbein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hesselbein went from 138 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Hesselbein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesselbein, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Hesselbein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hesselbein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Hesselbein (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 Hesselbein mean?
A German surname derived from the region of Hessen, often denoting one from that place. 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 Hesselbein (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 Hesselbein?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.