2000
#9,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,250
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Hetherington
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Heather-covered farmstead" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,713 Americans carry the last name Hetherington. That puts it at #9,601 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,312 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hetherington 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 Hetherington with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,312
Census rank
#9,601
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,238 bearers of the surname Hetherington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9601st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hetherington, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hetherington
The surname Hetherington is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval era. It is a locational name derived from the village of Hetherington in Northumberland, England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hether" meaning a heather plant and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting a connection to a place where heather grew abundantly.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest references to the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Northumberland from 1273, where it is spelled as "Hethringeton." This document contains records of landowners and tenants, indicating that the Hetherington family had established roots in the region during that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Hethringtone" and "Hetherington," reflecting the evolution of spelling conventions over time. One notable figure from this era was John de Hetherington, who was mentioned in the Placita de Quo Warranto records of 1346, a legal document that recorded disputes over land ownership and rights.
During the 16th century, the Hetherington family continued to spread across various parts of England. Records from this period include references to individuals like William Hetherington, who was born in Northumberland in 1542, and Robert Hetherington, who was born in Yorkshire in 1578.
As the centuries progressed, the Hetherington name became more widespread, and several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged. One such figure was John Hetherington (1713-1768), an English actor and playwright who gained recognition for his performances in London theaters.
Another prominent Hetherington was William Hetherington (1804-1865), a British reformer and writer who advocated for free speech and the rights of workers. He was imprisoned for publishing an unstamped newspaper, which led to the repeal of the Stamp Act, allowing for the legal publication of inexpensive newspapers.
In the 19th century, the name also gained recognition in the field of engineering. John Hetherington (1788-1846) was a Scottish engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early railways and designed several notable bridges, including the Grosvenor Bridge in Chester.
Other notable individuals bearing the Hetherington surname include Alexander Hetherington (1808-1865), a Scottish clergyman and author, and Henry Hetherington (1865-1949), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hetherington
Among Census respondents with the surname Hetherington, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hetherington 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 Hetherington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 2,850
- Black or African American4.7% · 151
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 110
- Two or more races2.8% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hetherington
Hetherington 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
#9,552
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,403
+153 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 322 places
2020
#9,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,238
-165 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,230 | 3,250 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,552 | 3,403 | 1.15 | +153 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 322 places |
| 2020 | #9,601 | 3,238 | 1.08 | -165 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 49 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 Hetherington 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 | #9,552 | #9,601 | -0.5% |
| Count | 3,403 | 3,238 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.08 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hetherington bearers went from 3,403 to 3,238 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,552 to #9,601.
FAQ
Hetherington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hetherington?
Name Census estimates that about 3,713 living Americans carry the surname Hetherington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,312 residents.
How common is Hetherington?
Hetherington ranks #9,601 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,238 people with the surname Hetherington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,713), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Hetherington.
Has Hetherington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hetherington went from 3,403 recorded bearers to 3,238. That is a decrease of 165 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,552 to #9,601.
What does the Census say about the background of Hetherington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hetherington, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Hetherington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (2,850 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hetherington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Black (4.7%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Hetherington (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 Hetherington mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Heather-covered farmstead" in Old English. 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 Hetherington (1.08 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 last name Hetherington?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Hetherington on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.