2000
#10,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,938
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Heywood
From the English place name meaning "enclosed wood" or "high wood."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,620 Americans carry the last name Heywood. That puts it at #9,793 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,684 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heywood 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 Heywood with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,684
Census rank
#9,793
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,157 bearers of the surname Heywood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9793rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heywood, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heywood
The surname HEYWOOD has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name "Heywood" in Lancashire, which itself comes from the Old English words "heg" meaning "hedge" and "wudu" meaning "wood," referring to a wooded area enclosed by a hedge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where a Richard de Hewode is mentioned. The name also appears in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246 as Robert de Heyewod.
During the 13th century, the surname was also found in other parts of England, such as Yorkshire and Staffordshire, suggesting that people from the original Heywood settlement had migrated to other areas.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Heyewood, Heywode, and Haywode, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and transcription at the time.
One notable figure bearing the surname HEYWOOD was John Heywood, a playwright and singer who lived from around 1497 to 1580. He served in the court of King Henry VIII and is known for his satirical plays and interludes.
Another prominent person with the surname was Eliza Heywood, an English writer and playwright who lived from 1693 to 1756. She was a prolific author and is considered one of the most important writers of her time.
In the 18th century, the surname was found in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One example is Thomas Heywood, a clockmaker from Lancashire who lived from 1744 to 1811.
Moving into the 19th century, the HEYWOOD surname continued to be prevalent in England, with individuals such as James Heywood, a prominent banker and philanthropist who lived from 1810 to 1892.
Additionally, the name is associated with the Heywood family, who were prominent landowners and industrialists in Lancashire during the 19th century. They owned several mills and played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heywood
Among Census respondents with the surname Heywood, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Heywood 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 Heywood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.5% · 2,448
- Black or African American14.0% · 443
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 133
- Two or more races3.2% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heywood
Heywood 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
#10,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,123
+185 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 212 places
2020
#9,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,157
+34 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 523 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,104 | 2,938 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,316 | 3,123 | 1.06 | +185 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 212 places |
| 2020 | #9,793 | 3,157 | 1.06 | +34 bearers (+1.1%) | Up 523 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 Heywood 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 | #10,316 | #9,793 | 5.1% |
| Count | 3,123 | 3,157 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 1.06 | -0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heywood bearers went from 3,123 to 3,157 (+1.1% change). The surname moved up 523 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,316 to #9,793.
FAQ
Heywood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heywood?
Name Census estimates that about 3,620 living Americans carry the surname Heywood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,684 residents.
How common is Heywood?
Heywood ranks #9,793 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,157 people with the surname Heywood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,620), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Heywood.
Has Heywood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heywood went from 3,123 recorded bearers to 3,157. That is an increase of 34 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,316 to #9,793.
What does the Census say about the background of Heywood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heywood, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Heywood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (2,448 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heywood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.5%), Black (14.0%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Heywood (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 Heywood mean?
From the English place name meaning "enclosed wood" or "high wood." 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 Heywood (1.06 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 common is the surname Heywood?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Heywood on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.