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

Hillard, 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 Hillard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hillard in America

Hillard is the 5585th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hillard surname appeared 6,223 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hillard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hillard 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 Hillard

The surname Hillard is of English origin, deriving from a combination of the Old English words "hyll" meaning hill and "ard" meaning high ground or ridge. It first emerged in the region of Yorkshire during the Middle Ages, where it was likely used as a descriptive name for someone who lived on or near a hillside.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hillard surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hilliard" in reference to a landowner in the county of Lincolnshire. The name also appears in various medieval records and tax rolls from the 13th to 15th centuries, often with slight variations in spelling such as "Hyllard" or "Hyllarde".

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hillard surname began to spread across England, with notable bearers including John Hillard (1516-1584), a prominent English clergyman and reformer who served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral. Another notable figure was Richard Hillard (1605-1675), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the county of Hertfordshire.

In the 18th century, the Hillard family had established branches in various parts of England, including the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One notable individual from this period was William Hillard (1735-1812), a successful barrister and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Carmarthen Circuit in Wales.

As the British Empire expanded, the Hillard surname also found its way to various colonies and territories. One example is George Hillard (1808-1885), an American author, lawyer, and educator who was born in Machias, Maine, and later served as the President of the Boston University.

Another notable figure was Sir Norman Hillard (1876-1954), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Windward Islands from 1929 to 1933, and later as the Governor of Gambia from 1933 to 1936.

Overall, the surname Hillard has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages in England, where it likely originated as a descriptive name for someone living on or near a hill. Over the centuries, it has been borne by many notable individuals across various professions and regions, reflecting the diverse paths taken by families bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hillard

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

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

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

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