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

Hetfield, 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 Hetfield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hetfield in America

Hetfield is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hetfield surname appeared 164 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hetfield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hetfield 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.

The history of the last name Hetfield

The surname Hetfield has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from an Old English place name, possibly "Hetti's field" or a similar construction, referring to a field or clearing owned or inhabited by someone named Hetti.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hetefeld" in reference to a location in Hertfordshire. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "Heytfeld" and "Heytefeld," indicating that the spelling was not yet standardized. Over time, the name evolved into its current form of "Hetfield."

One notable bearer of the Hetfield name was John Hetfield, a 14th-century English landowner and minor nobleman from Nottinghamshire, who was recorded in the Court Rolls of 1327.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hetfield family established themselves in various parts of England, with branches in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire. William Hetfield, born in 1589 in Yorkshire, was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a churchwarden.

In the 18th century, Thomas Hetfield (1703-1781) was a renowned clockmaker from Lincolnshire, whose timepieces were highly sought after by wealthy patrons.

The 19th century saw the Hetfield name spread to other parts of the world as emigrants left England in search of new opportunities. One such individual was Samuel Hetfield (1812-1887), who settled in Australia and became a successful farmer and landowner in New South Wales.

Another notable bearer of the Hetfield name was Charles Hetfield (1856-1932), an American businessman and philanthropist from Pennsylvania, who made his fortune in the steel industry and donated generously to educational institutions.

Overall, the surname Hetfield has a rich history spanning centuries, originating from a humble place name in medieval England and evolving to be carried by individuals of various professions and backgrounds across different parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hetfield

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

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 Hetfield was:

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 Hetfield has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Hetfield was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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