2000
#6,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,001
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.85
Rare Last name
Hickerson
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hickers, a type of agricultural tool.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,444 Americans carry the last name Hickerson. That puts it at #6,818 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,960 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hickerson 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.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 62,960
Census rank
#6,818
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,747 bearers of the surname Hickerson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6818th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hickerson, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.7%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hickerson
The surname Hickerson originated in England during the late medieval period, primarily in the northern regions of the country. It is derived from the Old English words "hic" meaning "hay" and "erson" meaning "son," suggesting that the name initially referred to the son of a haymaker or someone who worked with hay.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hickerson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where it was spelled "Hiccherson." This spelling variation indicates the name's evolution over time, reflecting regional accents and dialects.
In the 14th century, the name Hickerson appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, suggesting that the family had spread to other parts of England by that time.
One notable figure bearing the Hickerson surname was Sir John Hickerson, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Northumberland during the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and died in 1498.
The Hickerson name has also been associated with certain place names, such as Hickerson Manor in Oxfordshire, which was historically owned by a branch of the Hickerson family during the 16th century.
Another noteworthy individual was William Hickerson, a merchant and trader who lived in London during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was involved in the lucrative wool trade and helped establish trade routes with the Netherlands and other European countries. William Hickerson was born in 1560 and died in 1628.
In the 17th century, the Hickerson surname gained prominence with the birth of Robert Hickerson, a renowned scholar and theologian who studied at Oxford University. He was born in 1620 and died in 1692. His writings and teachings had a significant impact on the intellectual discourse of the time.
During the 18th century, the Hickerson family continued to thrive, with several members holding prominent positions in various fields. One such individual was Captain James Hickerson, a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War. He was born in 1735 and died in 1802.
As the Hickerson family spread throughout England and beyond, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Hickason, Hickison, and Hickisson, among others. However, the core meaning and origin remained tied to the Old English words "hic" and "erson."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hickerson
Among Census respondents with the surname Hickerson, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.7%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hickerson 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 Hickerson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.7% · 3,450
- Black or African American17.9% · 849
- Two or more races5.4% · 256
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 151
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hickerson
Hickerson 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
#6,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,041
+40 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Down 426 places
2020
#6,818
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,747
-294 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Down 118 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,274 | 5,001 | 1.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,700 | 5,041 | 1.71 | +40 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 426 places |
| 2020 | #6,818 | 4,747 | 1.59 | -294 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 118 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 Hickerson 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 | #6,700 | #6,818 | -1.8% |
| Count | 5,041 | 4,747 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.71 | 1.59 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hickerson bearers went from 5,041 to 4,747 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 118 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,700 to #6,818.
FAQ
Hickerson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hickerson?
Name Census estimates that about 5,444 living Americans carry the surname Hickerson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,960 residents.
How common is Hickerson?
Hickerson ranks #6,818 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,747 people with the surname Hickerson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,444), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hickerson.
Has Hickerson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hickerson went from 5,041 recorded bearers to 4,747. That is a decrease of 294 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,700 to #6,818.
What does the Census say about the background of Hickerson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hickerson, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.7%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Hickerson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.7% (3,450 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hickerson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.7%), Black (17.9%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Hickerson (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 Hickerson mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hickers, a type of agricultural tool. 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 Hickerson (1.59 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 Americans have the surname Hickerson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.