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

Highland, 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 Highland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Highland in America

Highland is the 13096th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Highland surname appeared 2,342 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 Highland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Highland 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 Highland

The surname Highland is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "hēah-land," which means "high ground" or "elevated land." This name likely originated in the areas of England that were characterized by hilly or mountainous terrain.

The earliest recorded instances of the Highland surname can be traced back to the late 12th century. In the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, there is a reference to a person named Richard de Heylaund, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the Highland name.

During the medieval period, the Highland name appeared in several historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals such as Robert de la Heighelond and Robert de la Heygheland. These variations in spelling were common during this time and reflected regional dialects and scribal variations.

In the 14th century, the Highland name was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a person named Johannes del Higheland was recorded in 1317. This suggests that the name was present in different parts of England during this period.

One notable individual with the Highland surname was Sir John Highland (c. 1480-1537), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Highland (1565-1622), an English politician and Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Bridport in the early 17th century.

In the literary world, James Highland (1698-1778) was a Scottish poet and playwright who is best known for his work "The Prospect of Society," published in 1741.

During the 18th century, the Highland surname was also found in the American colonies. One example is William Highland (1738-1819), a soldier and landowner from Virginia who fought in the Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, Charles Highland (1856-1932) was a notable American architect who designed several landmark buildings in Los Angeles, including the Los Angeles County Courthouse and the Los Angeles City Hall.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the Highland surname, which has its roots in the Old English language and reflects the geographic features associated with the name's origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Highland

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

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

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

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