2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hewlen
A variant spelling of the English surname Hewlett referring to one who constructed or occupied a small shelter or hut.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Hewlen. 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 Hewlen 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 Hewlen 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 Hewlen, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (27.1%) and White (8.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hewlen
The surname HEWLEN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "heowan" meaning "to hew" or "to cut," and "len" meaning "dweller" or "resident," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived or worked near a hewn or cut area, such as a forest clearing or a quarry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HEWLEN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, the name appears as "Hulene," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of HEWLEN.
During the 13th century, the name HEWLEN was also associated with the place name "Hewlane" or "Hiewlane," which referred to a small village or hamlet located in the county of Shropshire, England. It is possible that some individuals bearing the surname HEWLEN may have originated from or lived in this area.
One notable individual with the surname HEWLEN was Sir John HEWLEN (c.1420-1498), a prominent landowner and knight who served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Henry VI. He is recorded as having owned estates in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
Another historical figure was Thomas HEWLEN (1556-1631), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton in Somerset. He is known for his writings on ecclesiastical law and his contributions to the administration of the Church of England during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras.
In the 17th century, the name HEWLEN appears in colonial records from Virginia and Massachusetts in the United States. One notable individual was William HEWLEN (1620-1690), an early settler in Virginia who was granted land in York County and served as a member of the House of Burgesses, the colonial legislative assembly.
During the 18th century, the surname HEWLEN was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Hewlin" or "Hewling." One notable Scotsman bearing this name was Alexander HEWLEN (1745-1821), a merchant and shipowner based in Glasgow, who played a significant role in the city's thriving trade with the West Indies.
In the 19th century, the surname HEWLEN continued to be found in various parts of the United Kingdom and the United States, with individuals bearing the name engaging in a variety of professions, including farming, manufacturing, and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hewlen
Among Census respondents with the surname Hewlen, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (27.1%) and White (8.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hewlen 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 Hewlen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander60.2% · 71
- Two or more races27.1% · 32
- White8.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hewlen
Hewlen 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
#117,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
+22 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,159 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-30 bearers (-20.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,031 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #117,480 | 148 | 0.05 | +22 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 8,159 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-20.3%) | Down 26,031 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 Hewlen 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 | #117,480 | #143,511 | -22.2% |
| Count | 148 | 118 | -20.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hewlen bearers went from 148 to 118 (-20.3% change). The surname moved down 26,031 positions in the national ranking, going from #117,480 to #143,511.
FAQ
Hewlen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hewlen?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Hewlen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Hewlen?
Hewlen 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 Hewlen. 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 Hewlen.
Has Hewlen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hewlen went from 148 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 30 (-20.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #117,480 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Hewlen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hewlen, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (27.1%) and White (8.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hewlen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.2% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hewlen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (60.2%), Two or More Races (27.1%), White (8.5%). 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 Hewlen (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 Hewlen mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Hewlett referring to one who constructed or occupied a small shelter or hut. 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 Hewlen (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 are called Hewlen?
Find out how common the surname Hewlen is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.