2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hettiger
A German surname derived from a nickname referring to someone with a feisty or fiery temperament.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Hettiger. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hettiger 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Hettiger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hettiger, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hettiger
The surname Hettiger is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, with roots dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old High German word "hettar," which translates to "bright" or "shining," suggesting that the name may have initially been bestowed upon someone with a radiant or fair complexion.
In its early iterations, the surname was often spelled as "Hettiger" or "Hetteger," with variations such as "Hetticher" and "Hettiger" emerging later on. Some of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in municipal records from the 14th and 15th centuries in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Johannes Hettiger, a prominent scholar and theologian who lived in the late 16th century. Born in Tübingen in 1555, he authored several influential works on theology and philosophy, and served as a professor at the University of Tübingen until his death in 1619.
Another individual of note was Christoph Hettiger, a skilled artisan and master woodcarver who lived in the early 17th century. He is renowned for his intricate woodcarvings that adorned many churches and cathedrals in the Black Forest region of Germany, particularly his work on the altarpiece of the Freiburg Cathedral, which is still admired today.
In the 18th century, the name Hettiger gained prominence through the works of Johann Michael Hettiger, a celebrated composer and organist. Born in Augsburg in 1724, he composed numerous sacred and secular works, and his compositions for organ were widely performed and admired throughout Europe during his lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of Karl Hettiger, a renowned architect and urban planner who was instrumental in the redesign and modernization of many German cities in the latter half of the 1800s. His most notable works include the redesign of the city center of Mainz and the development of several residential neighborhoods in Frankfurt.
Lastly, the 20th century saw the rise of Erwin Hettiger, a prominent German industrialist and entrepreneur. Born in Stuttgart in 1912, he founded the Hettiger Automotive Group, which became a leading manufacturer of automotive components and accessories, serving major automakers across Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hettiger
Among Census respondents with the surname Hettiger, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hettiger 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 Hettiger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.6% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino15.3% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.1% · 6
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hettiger
Hettiger 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,606 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,606 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 4,836 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 Hettiger 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 | #148,347 | #143,511 | 3.3% |
| Count | 111 | 118 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hettiger bearers went from 111 to 118 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 4,836 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #143,511.
FAQ
Hettiger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hettiger?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Hettiger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Hettiger?
Hettiger ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Hettiger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Hettiger.
Has Hettiger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hettiger went from 111 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 7 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Hettiger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hettiger, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.1%). 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 Hettiger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.6% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hettiger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.6%), Hispanic (15.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.1%). 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 Hettiger (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 Hettiger mean?
A German surname derived from a nickname referring to someone with a feisty or fiery temperament. 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 Hettiger (0.04 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 share the surname Hettiger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.