Find out how popular the last name Hiatt is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hiatt.

Hiatt, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hiatt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hiatt in America

Hiatt is the 3486th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hiatt surname appeared 10,247 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Hiatt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hiatt to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hiatt

The surname Hiatt is believed to have originated in England in the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "heah" meaning high and "geat" meaning gate, referring to someone who lived near a prominent gate or entrance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a William atte Hyegate. This spelling variation suggests the name's connection to a place name like "High Gate."

In the 15th century, the Hiatt surname appeared in various records across the English Midlands counties, such as Staffordshire and Warwickshire. Notable examples include John Hiatt, a landowner in Staffordshire in 1459, and Thomas Hiatt, a yeoman recorded in Warwickshire in 1486.

The Domesday Book, a significant historical record from 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Hiatt surname. However, it does mention several place names with similar roots, such as "Heahgat" in Surrey and "Hegehgate" in Somerset, which could be related to the surname's origins.

As the surname spread across England, various spellings emerged, including Hiat, Hyet, Hyatt, and Hyett. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Hiatt (c. 1554-1616), a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire and Sheriff of the county in 1609.

Another prominent figure was Richard Hiatt (c. 1610-1679), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century. He served as a pastor in Salem and Salisbury, and his descendants played a role in the early history of New England.

In the 18th century, the Hiatt surname appeared in various parts of Britain, with individuals such as William Hiatt (1725-1798), a merchant and landowner in Warwickshire, and John Hiatt (1759-1835), a farmer and landowner in Gloucestershire.

As the centuries progressed, the Hiatt surname continued to be found in various regions of England, with notable individuals like George Hiatt (1819-1892), a prominent Baptist minister in London, and Charles Hiatt (1857-1939), a lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for West Derby.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hiatt

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hiatt.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hiatt was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hiatt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hiatt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hiatt, please contact us.

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