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

Hile, 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 Hile surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hile in America

Hile is the 11675th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hile surname appeared 2,685 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 Hile.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hile 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 Hile

The surname Hile has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hyll," which means "hill" or "mound," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a hill or on a hillside.

In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Hille" or "Hylle," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hille."

Records from the 13th and 14th centuries show the name appearing in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. It is possible that the name was associated with specific place names, such as Hile in Yorkshire or Hile Abbey in Gloucestershire.

One notable historical figure bearing the Hile surname was John Hile, a merchant and politician who lived in the late 15th century. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1488 and was a prominent figure in the city's trade and governance.

In the 16th century, Thomas Hile (c. 1505-1572) was a renowned scholar and theologian who studied at the University of Cambridge. He became a Fellow of Pembroke College and later served as the Master of Clare College from 1549 to 1572.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain Richard Hile (c. 1620-1679) was a prominent military figure who fought for the Parliamentarian forces. He was noted for his bravery and leadership in several battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the 18th century, the Hile family produced several notable figures, including William Hile (1735-1804), a successful merchant and landowner in Lincolnshire. His son, Thomas Hile (1770-1843), followed in his footsteps and became a respected businessman and philanthropist in the same region.

As the centuries passed, the Hile surname continued to be found across various parts of England, with some members of the family migrating to other parts of the British Isles and even to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hile

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

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

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

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