2000
#155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153,618
First available Census row
Per 100,000 56.95
Common Last name
Hicks
Derived from the Middle English word "hick," referring to a person from a rural area or a peasant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 174,236 Americans carry the last name Hicks. That puts it at #174 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 50.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,967 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hicks 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 Hicks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
174K
1 in 1,967
Census rank
#174
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
50.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
152K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 151,942 bearers of the surname Hicks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 50.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 174th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hicks, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hicks
The surname Hicks has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Middle English word "hick," which was used as a nickname for someone who lived in a remote rural area or a small village. This nickname likely evolved from the Old English word "hyccian," meaning "to stutter or stammer."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hicks can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1275, which contained records of landholders in England. The name appeared in various spellings such as "Hicke," "Hycke," and "Hik." These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period.
The Hicks surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Hicks Mill in Gloucestershire and Hicks Farm in Somerset. This suggests that some families may have adopted the name based on their place of residence or ownership of land.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Hicks throughout history is Sir Baptist Hicks (1551-1629), a wealthy merchant and member of the English gentry. He served as a Member of Parliament and was instrumental in the founding of Campden, a town in Gloucestershire.
Another prominent figure was Sir Michael Hicks (1543-1612), a member of the English Parliament and a wealthy landowner. He served as Lord Privy Seal and Chancellor of the Exchequer during the reign of King James I.
In the literary world, Thomas Hicks (1838-1899) was an English author and journalist best known for his novel "Aloysius Petre; or, The Oxford Scout." He also wrote several works on historical topics.
The artist Edward Hicks (1780-1849), born in Pennsylvania, was a renowned American folk painter known for his "Peaceable Kingdom" series, which depicted scenes of harmony between humans, animals, and nature.
Another notable individual was Elias Hicks (1748-1830), an American Quaker minister and influential figure in the Quaker movement. He advocated for the abolition of slavery and promoted a more liberal interpretation of Quaker doctrine.
Throughout its history, the surname Hicks has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from merchants and landowners to artists and religious leaders. While its origins may have been humble, the name has left an indelible mark across various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hicks
Among Census respondents with the surname Hicks, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hicks 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 Hicks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.5% · 98,045
- Black or African American26.1% · 39,710
- Two or more races4.7% · 7,172
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 4,790
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1,371
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 854
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hicks
Hicks 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
#170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158,320
+4,702 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 53.67
Rank movement Down 15 places
2020
#174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151,942
-6,378 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 50.83
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #155 | 153,618 | 56.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #170 | 158,320 | 53.67 | +4,702 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 15 places |
| 2020 | #174 | 151,942 | 50.83 | -6,378 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 4 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 Hicks 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 | #170 | #174 | -2.4% |
| Count | 158,320 | 151,942 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 53.67 | 50.83 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hicks bearers went from 158,320 to 151,942 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #170 to #174.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hicks
FAQ
Hicks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hicks?
Name Census estimates that about 174,236 living Americans carry the surname Hicks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,967 residents.
How common is Hicks?
Hicks ranks #174 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 50.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 51 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 151,942 people with the surname Hicks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (174,236), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 50.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 50.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 51 of them to have the surname Hicks.
Has Hicks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hicks went from 158,320 recorded bearers to 151,942. That is a decrease of 6,378 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #170 to #174.
What does the Census say about the background of Hicks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hicks, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Hicks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.5% (98,045 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hicks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.5%), Black (26.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Hicks (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 Hicks mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "hick," referring to a person from a rural area or a peasant. 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 Hicks (50.83 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 Hicks?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.