2000
#12,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,290
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Highfill
Topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a high or raised open area of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,499 Americans carry the last name Highfill. That puts it at #13,372 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,157 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Highfill 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
2.5K
1 in 137,157
Census rank
#13,372
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,179 bearers of the surname Highfill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13372nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Highfill, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Highfill
The surname Highfill originated in England during the late medieval period. It is a locational name derived from a place name, most likely a former residence or landholding. The name is believed to have originated in Derbyshire, where there was a hamlet called Highfield or Highfill. This place name is composed of the Old English elements "heah" meaning high and "feld" meaning field or open land, referring to a high-lying area of cultivated ground.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Highfill can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire from 1327, where a William de Highfeld is mentioned. The spelling variations in these early records include Highfeld, Highfyld, and Heyfeld. It is likely that the name was originally rendered as de Highfeld, indicating someone from the place called Highfeld.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various parish records and tax rolls across Derbyshire and neighboring counties. Notable examples include John Highfelde, mentioned in the Chesterfield Parish Registers in 1548, and Richard Highfyld, recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1524.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Robert Highfill (c. 1580 - 1648), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire during the reign of King Charles I. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Royalist cause but later switching allegiance to the Parliamentarians.
Another notable figure was Captain Thomas Highfill (1638 - 1711), a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Anglo-Dutch Wars. He distinguished himself in several naval engagements and was later appointed as the Governor of the Bahamas in 1697.
In the 18th century, the name Highfill spread beyond its Derbyshire origins. A prominent example is William Highfill (1724 - 1798), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures and invested heavily in real estate.
During the 19th century, the Highfill family was well-established in various parts of England. One notable member was Reverend John Highfill (1812 - 1889), a prominent clergyman and scholar who served as the Vicar of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire. He was known for his extensive writings on theology and church history.
Additionally, Sir Arthur Highfill (1845 - 1923) was a distinguished British military officer who served in the Indian Army. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General and was awarded the prestigious Order of the Bath for his services during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Highfill
Among Census respondents with the surname Highfill, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Highfill 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 Highfill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 1,968
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 86
- Two or more races3.4% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Highfill
Highfill 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
#12,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,368
+78 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 538 places
2020
#13,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,179
-189 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,430 | 2,290 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,968 | 2,368 | 0.80 | +78 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 538 places |
| 2020 | #13,372 | 2,179 | 0.73 | -189 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 404 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 Highfill 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 | #12,968 | #13,372 | -3.1% |
| Count | 2,368 | 2,179 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.73 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Highfill bearers went from 2,368 to 2,179 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 404 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,968 to #13,372.
FAQ
Highfill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Highfill?
Name Census estimates that about 2,499 living Americans carry the surname Highfill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,157 residents.
How common is Highfill?
Highfill ranks #13,372 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,179 people with the surname Highfill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,499), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Highfill.
Has Highfill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Highfill went from 2,368 recorded bearers to 2,179. That is a decrease of 189 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,968 to #13,372.
What does the Census say about the background of Highfill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Highfill, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Highfill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (1,968 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Highfill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Highfill (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 Highfill mean?
Topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a high or raised open area of land. 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 Highfill (0.73 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 last name Highfill?
See how many people have the surname Highfill on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.