2000
#10,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,789
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Heyman
A Jewish surname derived from the German word "Heiermann," meaning a person who collects fines or taxes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,942 Americans carry the last name Heyman. That puts it at #11,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,504 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heyman 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 Heyman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 116,504
Census rank
#11,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,566 bearers of the surname Heyman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heyman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heyman
The surname Heyman is of Dutch origin, with roots tracing back to the Netherlands in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle Dutch word "heyme," which means "homestead" or "cultivated land." This suggests that the name was initially adopted by individuals who lived or worked on a particular homestead or farm.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Heyman surname can be found in the Rotterdam Archives, where a certain Gerrit Heyman was mentioned in a document dated 1592. This record provides evidence that the name was already in use during the late 16th century in the Dutch provinces.
In the 17th century, the Heyman name appeared in various Dutch records, including church registers and tax rolls. One notable mention is that of Pieter Heyman, a wealthy merchant born in Amsterdam in 1624, who played a significant role in the city's trade with the East Indies.
As the Dutch began to expand their colonial endeavors, the Heyman surname traveled with them to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, the name can be found in records from the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) and the Dutch West Indies (Caribbean islands).
One of the earliest documented instances of the Heyman surname outside of the Netherlands is the birth of Johannes Heyman in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia) in 1712. He was the son of a Dutch East India Company official, reflecting the spread of the name through Dutch colonial activities.
In the 19th century, the Heyman surname gained recognition in various fields. Notably, Jan Heyman (1809-1889) was a renowned Dutch painter and engraver, known for his detailed landscape paintings and etchings depicting the Dutch countryside.
Another notable individual was Hendrik Heyman (1840-1912), a Dutch-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Ansonia Hotel and the Dorilton Apartments.
As the Heyman surname continued to spread, it was also adopted by individuals of other nationalities, particularly in regions where Dutch settlers had established communities. For example, in South Africa, the name Heyman can be traced back to the 18th century, when Dutch settlers arrived in the Cape Colony.
Throughout history, the Heyman surname has maintained its Dutch roots, although its spelling variations, such as Heymann and Haymann, have emerged over time. Despite these variations, the name's core meaning and association with cultivated land or homesteads remain evident.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heyman
Among Census respondents with the surname Heyman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Heyman 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 Heyman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 2,270
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 103
- Two or more races3.4% · 87
- Black or African American3.2% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heyman
Heyman 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
#11,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,838
+49 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 601 places
2020
#11,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,566
-272 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 532 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,553 | 2,789 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,154 | 2,838 | 0.96 | +49 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 601 places |
| 2020 | #11,686 | 2,566 | 0.86 | -272 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 532 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 Heyman 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 | #11,154 | #11,686 | -4.8% |
| Count | 2,838 | 2,566 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.86 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heyman bearers went from 2,838 to 2,566 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 532 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,154 to #11,686.
FAQ
Heyman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heyman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,942 living Americans carry the surname Heyman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,504 residents.
How common is Heyman?
Heyman ranks #11,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,566 people with the surname Heyman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,942), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Heyman.
Has Heyman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heyman went from 2,838 recorded bearers to 2,566. That is a decrease of 272 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,154 to #11,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Heyman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heyman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (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 Heyman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (2,270 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heyman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (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 Heyman (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 Heyman mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the German word "Heiermann," meaning a person who collects fines or taxes. 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 Heyman (0.86 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 Heyman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.