2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Hichens
A surname derived from an English place name, likely referring to someone from Hitchins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Hichens. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hichens 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 Hichens with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Hichens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hichens, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hichens
The surname Hichens is of English origin, and its earliest recorded use dates back to the 13th century in the county of Gloucestershire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hicce," meaning a hack or a small horse, suggesting that the name may have been initially used as an occupational surname for someone who worked with horses or was a horse trader.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hichens surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1327, where a John Hicchens is mentioned. The name also appears in various historical records from the same region, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 and the Patent Rolls of 1366, indicating that the family had established roots in the area.
In the 16th century, the Hichens surname began to spread to other parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset and Devon. This is evidenced by records such as the Protestation Returns of 1642, which list individuals with the surname Hichens residing in these regions.
Notably, the Hichens surname has been associated with several prominent figures throughout history. One such individual was Robert Hichens (1588-1639), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Stephen Walbrook in London and published several religious works.
Another notable bearer of the Hichens surname was Robert Smyth Hichens (1782-1858), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Fellow of the Royal Society.
In the 19th century, Robert Hichens (1809-1865), a British businessman and philanthropist, made significant contributions to the development of the city of Brighton, where he served as a magistrate and founded several charitable institutions.
One of the most famous individuals with the Hichens surname was the English novelist and playwright Robert Smythe Hichens (1864-1950), best known for his works such as "The Garden of Allah" and "The Dweller on the Threshold." His novels often explored themes of exoticism, spirituality, and the clash between Eastern and Western cultures.
Another notable figure was Charles Hichens (1856-1939), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Automobile Club and the National Liberal Club.
While the Hichens surname may have originated as a humble occupational name, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, leaving an indelible mark on literature, architecture, exploration, and more.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hichens
Among Census respondents with the surname Hichens, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hichens 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 Hichens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.3% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 9
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hichens
Hichens 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
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+13 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,754 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 13,754 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 Hichens 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 | #160,975 | #147,221 | 8.5% |
| Count | 100 | 113 | 13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hichens bearers went from 100 to 113 (+13.0% change). The surname moved up 13,754 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #147,221.
FAQ
Hichens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hichens?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Hichens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Hichens?
Hichens ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Hichens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Hichens.
Has Hichens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hichens went from 100 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 13 (+13.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Hichens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hichens, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Hichens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hichens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.3%), Hispanic (8.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Hichens (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 Hichens mean?
A surname derived from an English place name, likely referring to someone from Hitchins. 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 Hichens (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 Hichens?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.