2000
#91,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 187
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Hesterly
From an English place name derived from the Old English words "hæst" meaning nag and "leah" meaning meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 219 Americans carry the last name Hesterly. That puts it at #100,867 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,565,088 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hesterly 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
219
1 in 1,565,088
Census rank
#100,867
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
191
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 191 bearers of the surname Hesterly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 100867th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesterly, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hesterly
The surname Hesterly has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hester" meaning bramble or thicket, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or in a clearing surrounded by brambles or thickets.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Richard de Hesterlegh is mentioned. This spelling variation showcases the name's evolution over time. Similarly, in the Feet of Fines records for Staffordshire in 1275, a Thomas de Husterley is listed.
The name Hesterly is also linked to various place names in England, such as Hesterly in Gloucestershire and Hesterly in Somerset. These locations likely took their names from the same Old English roots as the surname, further solidifying the connection between the name and the geographic features it once described.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Hesterly. One such figure is Sir John Hesterly (1562-1641), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 17th century. Another is William Hesterly (1678-1757), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, the name appears in the records of the East India Company, with Robert Hesterly (1725-1790) serving as a captain in the British East India Company's maritime fleet. Additionally, James Hesterly (1789-1862), a British military officer, gained recognition for his service during the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Elizabeth Hesterly (1820-1892), a pioneering English educator and women's rights advocate who campaigned tirelessly for equal educational opportunities for girls and women in Victorian-era Britain.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity of individuals who have carried the surname Hesterly over the centuries, leaving an indelible mark on various fields and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hesterly
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesterly, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hesterly 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 Hesterly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.5% · 150
- Black or African American8.9% · 17
- Two or more races7.3% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hesterly
Hesterly 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
#104,156
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 172
-15 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 12,752 places
2020
#100,867
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 191
+19 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 3,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #91,404 | 187 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #104,156 | 172 | 0.06 | -15 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 12,752 places |
| 2020 | #100,867 | 191 | 0.06 | +19 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 3,289 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 Hesterly 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 | #104,156 | #100,867 | 3.2% |
| Count | 172 | 191 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hesterly bearers went from 172 to 191 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 3,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #104,156 to #100,867.
FAQ
Hesterly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hesterly?
Name Census estimates that about 219 living Americans carry the surname Hesterly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,565,088 residents.
How common is Hesterly?
Hesterly ranks #100,867 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 191 people with the surname Hesterly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (219), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Hesterly.
Has Hesterly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hesterly went from 172 recorded bearers to 191. That is an increase of 19 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #104,156 to #100,867.
What does the Census say about the background of Hesterly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hesterly, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (7.3%). 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 Hesterly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.5% (150 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hesterly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.5%), Black (8.9%), Two or More Races (7.3%). 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 Hesterly (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 Hesterly mean?
From an English place name derived from the Old English words "hæst" meaning nag and "leah" meaning meadow. 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 Hesterly (0.06 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 have the surname Hesterly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.