2000
#112,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Heyburn
A surname possibly derived from a British place name composed of elements meaning "hay" and "burn".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Heyburn. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heyburn 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 Heyburn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Heyburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heyburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heyburn
The surname Heyburn is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place name that may have been spelled Heyburn or a similar variation.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants across England following the Norman Conquest. While the exact spelling may have varied, there are entries that could potentially be related to the Heyburn name.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name began to appear more frequently in various records and manuscripts, particularly in the northern counties of England. The earliest recorded individual with the surname Heyburn was William Heyburn, born around 1285 in Yorkshire.
In the 15th century, the name Heyburn was associated with several notable figures. John Heyburn (1425-1490) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York, while Thomas Heyburn (1450-1514) served as the Bishop of Ely from 1499 until his death.
As the centuries progressed, the Heyburn surname continued to spread across various regions of England. In the 17th century, Robert Heyburn (1592-1670) was a respected clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of Watlington in Oxfordshire.
Moving into the 18th century, Sir John Heyburn (1703-1785) was a prominent landowner and politician who represented the county of Norfolk in the House of Commons for several years.
Another notable figure with the Heyburn surname was James Heyburn (1765-1838), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man.
Throughout its history, the Heyburn surname has also been associated with various place names and locations across England, reflecting its locational origins. Some examples include Heyburn Wyke in Yorkshire, Heyburn Hope in Northumberland, and Heyburn Grange in Cumbria.
While the exact derivation and meaning of the name Heyburn may have evolved over time, it has maintained a strong presence in English history, with numerous individuals bearing this surname leaving their mark across various fields and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heyburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Heyburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Heyburn 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 Heyburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 97
- Black or African American6.7% · 8
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heyburn
Heyburn 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
#116,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
+5 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 3,862 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-30 bearers (-20.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,959 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,967 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,829 | 149 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 3,862 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-20.1%) | Down 25,959 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 Heyburn 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 | #116,829 | #142,788 | -22.2% |
| Count | 149 | 119 | -20.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heyburn bearers went from 149 to 119 (-20.1% change). The surname moved down 25,959 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,829 to #142,788.
FAQ
Heyburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heyburn?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Heyburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Heyburn?
Heyburn ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Heyburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Heyburn.
Has Heyburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heyburn went from 149 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 30 (-20.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #116,829 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Heyburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heyburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Heyburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heyburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Black (6.7%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Heyburn (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 Heyburn mean?
A surname possibly derived from a British place name composed of elements meaning "hay" and "burn". 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 Heyburn (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 Heyburn?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Heyburn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.