2000
#12,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,273
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Hesson
Derived from a Middle English place name meaning "son of Hess," a pet form of the name Henry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,500 Americans carry the last name Hesson. That puts it at #13,367 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hesson 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 Hesson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 137,102
Census rank
#13,367
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,180 bearers of the surname Hesson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13367th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hesson
The surname Hesson originated from England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a variant of the name Hesson or Hession, derived from the Old English word "hes," meaning rough or coarse.
This surname was initially found in the northern regions of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. One of the earliest records of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where a John Hesson was mentioned.
The name Hesson may also have connections to certain place names in England. For instance, it could be linked to the town of Hessay, located near the city of York. This place name is thought to have originated from the Old English words "hæs" and "eg," meaning "brushwood" and "island" or "dry ground," respectively.
In the 16th century, the Hesson family gained prominence in the city of York. One notable figure was William Hesson, a merchant and alderman who lived from 1532 to 1604. He was a prominent figure in the city's civic affairs and served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1590.
Another historical figure bearing the surname Hesson was Robert Hesson, a soldier and military engineer who lived from 1624 to 1690. He served in the English Civil War and was involved in the construction of fortifications and defensive works during the conflict.
In the 18th century, the Hesson family had established roots in various parts of England, including Lancashire and Yorkshire. One notable member was John Hesson (1732-1804), a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Rochdale.
Moving into the 19th century, the surname Hesson continued to be found across England. One notable figure from this era was William Hesson (1818-1892), a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Manchester.
Throughout its history, the surname Hesson has also been associated with various occupations, such as merchants, landowners, soldiers, and professionals. The name has maintained its presence in England and has spread to other parts of the world through migration and family lineages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hesson
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hesson 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 Hesson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 1,987
- Two or more races3.4% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 68
- Black or African American1.6% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hesson
Hesson 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
#13,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,295
+22 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 789 places
2020
#13,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,180
-115 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,502 | 2,273 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,291 | 2,295 | 0.78 | +22 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 789 places |
| 2020 | #13,367 | 2,180 | 0.73 | -115 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 76 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 Hesson 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 | #13,291 | #13,367 | -0.6% |
| Count | 2,295 | 2,180 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.73 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hesson bearers went from 2,295 to 2,180 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,291 to #13,367.
FAQ
Hesson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hesson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,500 living Americans carry the surname Hesson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,102 residents.
How common is Hesson?
Hesson ranks #13,367 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,180 people with the surname Hesson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,500), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hesson.
Has Hesson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hesson went from 2,295 recorded bearers to 2,180. That is a decrease of 115 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,291 to #13,367.
What does the Census say about the background of Hesson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Hesson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (1,987 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hesson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Hesson (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 Hesson mean?
Derived from a Middle English place name meaning "son of Hess," a pet form of the name Henry. 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 Hesson (0.73 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 Hesson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.