2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hesselton
A locational surname likely derived from a place name meaning "the settlement by the hazels".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Hesselton. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hesselton 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Hesselton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesselton, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hesselton
The surname Hesselton finds its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, possibly a location known as Heseltun or a similar spelling variation. Such locational surnames were common in that era, often derived from the places where families resided or held land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 during the reign of William the Conqueror. This vital record mentions an individual named Radulfus de Heseltun, suggesting the presence of the name in the late 11th century.
Throughout the centuries, the surname has undergone various spellings, including Heseltun, Heselton, and Hesselton. These variations were common in those times due to inconsistencies in written records and the evolution of language.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir John Hesselton, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was recorded as participating in the Battle of Falkirk in 1298.
During the 16th century, a prominent individual named Thomas Hesselton lived in the county of Yorkshire. He was a landowner and benefactor who contributed to the construction of a local church in the village of Hesselton, which may have been named after his family.
In the 17th century, a scholar and clergyman named William Hesselton made significant contributions to the field of theology. Born in 1612, he authored several books on religious subjects and served as a rector in the Church of England.
Another noteworthy individual was Sir Robert Hesselton, an English politician who lived from 1732 to 1806. He served as a Member of Parliament and was actively involved in local politics, representing the interests of his constituency.
The surname Hesselton has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Hesselton Manor in Derbyshire and Hesselton Farm in Northumberland. These locations likely derived their names from the surname or vice versa, reflecting the close ties between family names and geographical areas in earlier times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hesselton
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesselton, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hesselton 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 Hesselton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hesselton
Hesselton 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+14 bearers (+12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,550 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-19 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,067 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+12.2%) | Up 3,550 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 18,067 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 Hesselton 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 | #131,379 | #149,446 | -13.8% |
| Count | 129 | 110 | -14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hesselton bearers went from 129 to 110 (-14.7% change). The surname moved down 18,067 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #149,446.
FAQ
Hesselton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hesselton?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Hesselton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Hesselton?
Hesselton ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Hesselton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Hesselton.
Has Hesselton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hesselton went from 129 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Hesselton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesselton, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Hesselton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hesselton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Hesselton (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 Hesselton mean?
A locational surname likely derived from a place name meaning "the settlement by the hazels". 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 Hesselton (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 common is the surname Hesselton?
See how many people have the surname Hesselton on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.