2000
#1,723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,054
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.06
Uncommon Last name
Hightower
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a tall tower or fortified structure.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,991 Americans carry the last name Hightower. That puts it at #1,834 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,586 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hightower 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
22K
1 in 15,586
Census rank
#1,834
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,177 bearers of the surname Hightower in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1834th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hightower, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.4%. The next largest groups are Black (40.9%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hightower
The surname Hightower has its origins in England, and it can be traced back to the early medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hēah" and "tor," meaning "high" and "tower," respectively. This combination likely referred to a person who lived near or worked in a tall tower or fortification.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hightower can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1220, where a certain Robert de Hightower is mentioned. The "de" prefix indicates that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to a specific place or landmark.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Hightower," "Heitoure," and "Hietour," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and orthography at the time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a Walter de Hightower living in Oxfordshire.
During the 14th century, the name Hightower gained further recognition, particularly in connection with notable individuals. John Hightower, a prominent merchant and landowner, was born in Bristol in 1312 and played a significant role in the city's economic affairs.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Hightower. However, it does mention several locations with the word "tower" in their names, suggesting a potential connection to the name's origins.
In the 16th century, the Hightower family established itself in Gloucestershire, with Thomas Hightower (1542-1611) serving as a prominent member of the local gentry. His son, William Hightower (1575-1638), was a respected lawyer and landowner.
Another notable figure bearing the surname was Sir John Hightower (1620-1689), a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Charles II. He was known for his staunch support of the Church of England and his opposition to the Catholic policies of James II.
Throughout the centuries, the Hightower name has been associated with various professions and social classes, from merchants and landowners to lawyers and members of parliament. The name's enduring presence in historical records and its connection to distinctive landmarks have contributed to its lasting legacy in English surname history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hightower
Among Census respondents with the surname Hightower, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.4%. The next largest groups are Black (40.9%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hightower 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 Hightower surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.4% · 9,275
- Black or African American40.9% · 7,840
- Two or more races5.9% · 1,128
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 721
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 98
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hightower
Hightower 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
#1,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,065
+1,011 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 6.80
Rank movement Down 64 places
2020
#1,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,177
-888 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 6.42
Rank movement Down 47 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,723 | 19,054 | 7.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,787 | 20,065 | 6.80 | +1,011 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 64 places |
| 2020 | #1,834 | 19,177 | 6.42 | -888 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 47 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 Hightower 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 | #1,787 | #1,834 | -2.6% |
| Count | 20,065 | 19,177 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 6.80 | 6.42 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hightower bearers went from 20,065 to 19,177 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 47 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,787 to #1,834.
FAQ
Hightower surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hightower?
Name Census estimates that about 21,991 living Americans carry the surname Hightower. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,586 residents.
How common is Hightower?
Hightower ranks #1,834 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,177 people with the surname Hightower. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,991), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Hightower.
Has Hightower become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hightower went from 20,065 recorded bearers to 19,177. That is a decrease of 888 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,787 to #1,834.
What does the Census say about the background of Hightower?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hightower, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.4%. The next largest groups are Black (40.9%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Hightower in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.4% (9,275 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hightower appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.4%), Black (40.9%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Hightower (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 Hightower mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a tall tower or fortified structure. 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 Hightower (6.42 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 Hightower?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Hightower is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.