2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Highton
A locational surname referring to someone from a high or elevated town.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Highton. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Highton 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 Highton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Highton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Highton, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Highton
The surname Highton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'hēah' meaning 'high' and 'tūn' meaning 'an enclosure, farm or settlement'. It is a locational surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name resided in a high or elevated town or settlement.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Highton can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties across England, such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire. The name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a census-like survey of landowners in England conducted during the reign of King Edward I.
One of the earliest documented bearers of the Highton surname was William de Highton, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301. The Feet of Fines were legal records of land transactions, and this entry suggests that William de Highton was involved in a land deal or property dispute in Yorkshire during that time.
Another notable early bearer of the Highton surname was John Highton, a merchant and landowner who lived in Lincolnshire in the late 15th century. Records show that he was a prosperous individual and owned several properties in the area.
In the 16th century, the Highton surname was also found in Lancashire, where a family of that name was known to have held land and property in the town of Highton, which is believed to be the origin of their surname. One member of this family, Robert Highton, was recorded in the Lancashire Wills and Inventories of 1584.
During the 17th century, a prominent figure with the Highton surname was Sir John Highton (1615-1683), who was a Member of Parliament for Grantham in Lincolnshire. He was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War and was knighted by King Charles II in recognition of his loyalty and service.
Another noteworthy individual with the Highton surname was William Highton (1714-1784), an English painter and engraver who was known for his landscapes and portraits. He was a member of the Society of Artists and exhibited his works at their annual exhibitions in London.
Throughout the centuries, the Highton surname has been found in various parts of England, with concentrations in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire, reflecting its origins as a locational name derived from settlements in those areas. While the spelling has remained relatively consistent, some variations like Hyton and Hightoun have also been recorded in historical documents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Highton
Among Census respondents with the surname Highton, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Highton 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 Highton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Highton
Highton 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+11 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,414 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-11 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 1,414 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 11,338 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 Highton 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 | #137,327 | #148,665 | -8.3% |
| Count | 122 | 111 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Highton bearers went from 122 to 111 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 11,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #148,665.
FAQ
Highton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Highton?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Highton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Highton?
Highton ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Highton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Highton.
Has Highton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Highton went from 122 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Highton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Highton, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Highton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Highton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Highton (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 Highton mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a high or elevated town. 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 Highton (0.04 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 are called Highton?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Highton on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.