2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hewling
A surname derived from the medieval occupation of a woodcutter or carpenter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Hewling. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hewling 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Hewling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hewling, the largest self-reported group is Black at 63.1%. The next largest groups are White (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hewling
The surname HEWLING is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hēawlinca," which means "hewers" or "woodcutters." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in the profession of woodcutting or forestry.
The name HEWLING can be found in various historical records, such as parish registers and tax records. One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname dates back to 1273, when a Robert Hewling was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. In the 14th century, a Richard Hewling was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.
During the Tudor period, the HEWLING surname appeared in several notable records. In the early 16th century, a John Hewling was recorded as a landowner in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1523. Additionally, a Thomas Hewling was mentioned in the Visitation of Oxfordshire in 1574, indicating the presence of this surname among the gentry class.
Over the centuries, various individuals bearing the HEWLING surname have made their mark in various fields. One notable figure was Sir John Hewling (1619-1688), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1663. Another prominent individual was William Hewling (1588-1662), an English clergyman and religious writer who served as the Rector of Oundle in Northamptonshire.
In the 18th century, the HEWLING surname can be found in various records, including the marriage of Richard Hewling to Mary Budd in 1715 in Gloucestershire. Additionally, there was a Samuel Hewling (1736-1806), an English merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the town of Chelmsford, Essex.
Moving into the 19th century, one notable figure was Sir Henry Hewling (1801-1868), a British lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia, from 1857 to 1867.
While this surname is relatively uncommon, it has left its mark in various historical records and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hewling
Among Census respondents with the surname Hewling, the largest self-reported group is Black at 63.1%. The next largest groups are White (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hewling 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 Hewling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American63.1% · 70
- White31.5% · 35
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hewling
Hewling appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-8 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,508 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 8,508 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 Hewling 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 | #140,157 | #148,665 | -6.1% |
| Count | 119 | 111 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hewling bearers went from 119 to 111 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 8,508 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #148,665.
FAQ
Hewling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hewling?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Hewling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Hewling?
Hewling ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Hewling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Hewling.
Has Hewling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hewling went from 119 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Hewling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hewling, the largest self-reported group is Black at 63.1%. The next largest groups are White (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hewling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.1% (70 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hewling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (63.1%), White (31.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Hewling (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 Hewling mean?
A surname derived from the medieval occupation of a woodcutter or carpenter. 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 Hewling (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 have the surname Hewling?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.