Heston last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Heston is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Heston.

Meaning of Heston

Derived from a place name meaning "brushwood-covered farmstead" in Old English, referring to a person who lived there.

Heston, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Heston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heston in America

Heston is the 11146th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heston surname appeared 2,841 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Heston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heston to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 11146 10538 5.61%
Count 2,841 2,792 1.74%
Proportion per 100k 0.96 1.03 -7.04%

The history of the last name Heston

The surname Heston is of English origin, derived from the village of Heston, located in the London Borough of Hounslow. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hæst" and "tun," meaning "enclosure of a tall, thin man." This suggests that the village may have been associated with a particular individual who was tall and slender.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname Heston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hestone." This historical record provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during the Norman conquest of England.

In the 13th century, the surname Heston appeared in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230, where it was written as "Hestun." This variation in spelling was common during this period, as surnames were still in the process of standardization.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Heston was John de Heston, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332. Another notable individual was William Heston, born around 1540, who was a prominent landowner in the village of Heston during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Heston family established themselves in the county of Hertfordshire, where several members held positions of importance. One such individual was Sir John Heston, born in 1625, who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Hertford.

During the 18th century, the surname Heston gained recognition through the achievements of several notable individuals. Charles Heston, born in 1745, was a renowned British architect responsible for the design of several prominent buildings in London, including the iconic Somerset House.

Another significant figure was Sir Richard Heston, born in 1768, who was a highly respected military officer and served as the Governor of Gibraltar from 1814 to 1819.

As the surname spread across different regions, it also underwent variations in spelling, including Heston, Hestun, and Hestonne. These variations were common until the 19th century, when surnames became more standardized and fixed.

Throughout history, the surname Heston has been associated with various professions and achievements, from landowners and politicians to architects and military officers. While the surname may have originated from a specific location, its bearers have left their mark across various fields and regions, contributing to the rich tapestry of history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heston

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Heston.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Heston was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.00% 2,642
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.18% 62
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.67% 19
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.32% 9
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.76% 50
Hispanic Origin 2.08% 59

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Heston has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.00% 93.62% -0.66%
Black 2.18% 2.08% 4.69%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.67% 0.39% 52.83%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.32% 0.47% -37.97%
Two or More Races 1.76% 1.86% -5.52%
Hispanic 2.08% 1.58% 27.32%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Heston was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Heston, please contact us.

Reference this page

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"Heston last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/heston-surname-popularity/.

"Heston last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/heston-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Heston last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/heston-surname-popularity/.

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