Heth last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Heth

An ancient Hebrew surname, possibly derived from a biblical place name.

Heth, 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 Heth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heth in America

Heth is the 25751st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heth surname appeared 957 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 Heth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heth 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 25751 23863 7.61%
Count 957 988 -3.19%
Proportion per 100k 0.32 0.37 -14.49%

The history of the last name Heth

The surname HETH is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hæth," which means "heath" or "heathland." This suggests that the name was initially a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or on a heathland area.

The earliest recorded instance of the HETH surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "de Heth." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in England during the Norman Conquest period.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name, such as "atte Hethe" and "de la Hethe," further indicating its connection to a specific location or geographical feature.

One notable historical figure with the surname HETH was Sir Robert Heth, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1320 and served under Edward III during the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

Another prominent individual was John Heth, a 15th-century English cleric and academic. He was born in Warwickshire around 1430 and served as the Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, from 1483 to 1495.

In the 16th century, the HETH surname was associated with several place names in England, such as Heth Riddlesden in Yorkshire and Hethfelton in Northumberland. This further reinforces the name's connection to specific locations or settlements.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HETH surname in the United States can be found in the 17th century. Captain Henry Heth, born around 1629 in England, was among the early settlers in Virginia and served as a prominent figure in the colony's militia.

During the American Civil War, another notable figure with the HETH surname emerged. Henry Heth, born in 1825 in Virginia, was a Confederate Army officer who played a significant role in the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

While the HETH surname is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, reflecting the name's topographic origins and its association with specific regions and settlements over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heth

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

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 Heth was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 87.88% 841
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.15% 11
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.94% 9
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 6.69% 64
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.19% 21
Hispanic Origin 1.15% 11

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 87.88% 88.77% -1.01%
Black 1.15% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.94% 1.11% -16.59%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 6.69% 7.29% -8.58%
Two or More Races 2.19% 1.82% 18.45%
Hispanic 1.15% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Heth last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 4, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/heth-surname-popularity/.

"Heth last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/heth-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 June, 2025

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

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