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

Hiers, 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 Hiers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hiers in America

Hiers is the 11241st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hiers surname appeared 2,812 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hiers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hiers 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 Hiers

The surname HIERS is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "hiere," meaning a hired servant or worker. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as hired laborers or servants.

HIERS is believed to have its roots in the East Midlands region of England, particularly in the counties of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Hier, Hiere, and Hyer, reflecting the inconsistencies in written English during that time.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1327, which mentions a John le Hiere. This suggests that the surname had already taken root by the early 14th century.

While the HIERS surname does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and their holdings, it is possible that some of the early bearers of the name were among the landless peasantry who were not recorded in that survey.

Notable individuals with the surname HIERS throughout history include:

1. William Hiers (c. 1550-1620), an English merchant and landowner from Nottinghamshire, who owned substantial property and contributed to the local economy.

2. Elizabeth Hiers (c. 1620-1688), a Puritan woman from Leicestershire who immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-17th century and was among the early settlers of the town of Ipswich.

3. John Hiers (1745-1825), a farmer and Revolutionary War soldier from Virginia, who fought in several battles against the British forces.

4. Samuel Hiers (1810-1892), an English-born civil engineer who emigrated to Australia and played a significant role in the construction of several major infrastructure projects, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

5. Emily Hiers (1878-1962), an American educator and women's rights activist from Ohio, who campaigned for equal opportunities in education and the right to vote for women.

The HIERS surname has also been associated with various place names, particularly in the East Midlands region, such as Hiers Farm in Leicestershire and Hiers Hill in Nottinghamshire, both of which likely derived their names from early settlers with the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hiers

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

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 Hiers 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 Hiers 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 Hiers was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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