2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hesselrode
From a Dutch place name, referring to a resident of Hesselrode.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Hesselrode. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hesselrode 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Hesselrode in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesselrode, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and Hispanic (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hesselrode
The surname Hesselrode originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the place name Hessellrode, a small village in the Harz region of Lower Saxony. The name itself is a combination of the old German words "Hessel," meaning "hazel," and "rode," referring to a clearing or area of land that has been cleared for cultivation.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Hesselrode can be found in the records of the Electorate of Saxony, where a Johannes Hesselrode is mentioned as a landowner in the year 1572. Another notable early record is a baptismal entry from the Church of St. Michael in Göttingen, dated 1589, which lists the birth of a child named Anna Hesselrode.
As the name spread throughout Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Hesselroth, Hesselrodt, and Hesselrothe. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Hesselrode was Hans Hesselrode, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Wernigerode in the late 16th century. Records indicate that he owned several properties and had a thriving business trading in textiles and agricultural goods.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Jakob Hesselrode (1622-1689) gained recognition as a Lutheran theologian and author. He served as a professor at the University of Jena and published several influential works on theology and biblical interpretation.
Moving into the 18th century, the name Hesselrode appears in the records of the Prussian military. Johann Wilhelm Hesselrode (1702-1777) was a Prussian officer who served in the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War, eventually attaining the rank of Major General.
Another prominent individual with the surname Hesselrode was Friedrich Wilhelm Hesselrode (1789-1862), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. His works were widely exhibited and can be found in several prestigious collections, including the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
In the 19th century, the name Hesselrode gained international recognition through the work of the German-American engineer and inventor, Wilhelm Hesselrode (1823-1898). He made significant contributions to the development of early telegraph systems and held numerous patents for his innovations in the field of electrical engineering.
While the surname Hesselrode is relatively uncommon today, it continues to be a part of the rich tapestry of German heritage and history, with its roots firmly planted in the ancient villages and cultural traditions of Lower Saxony.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hesselrode
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesselrode, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and Hispanic (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Hesselrode 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 Hesselrode surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1% · 86
- Two or more races9.4% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 7
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hesselrode
Hesselrode appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,568 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 2,568 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 Hesselrode 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 | #154,907 | #152,339 | 1.7% |
| Count | 105 | 106 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hesselrode bearers went from 105 to 106 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 2,568 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,339.
FAQ
Hesselrode surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hesselrode?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Hesselrode. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Hesselrode?
Hesselrode ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Hesselrode. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Hesselrode.
Has Hesselrode become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hesselrode went from 105 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Hesselrode?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesselrode, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and Hispanic (6.6%). 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 Hesselrode in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hesselrode appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.1%), Two or More Races (9.4%), Hispanic (6.6%). 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 Hesselrode (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 Hesselrode mean?
From a Dutch place name, referring to a resident of Hesselrode. 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 Hesselrode (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 Hesselrode?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.