2000
#3,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,063
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.36
Rare Last name
Hiller
A German occupational surname referring to a roof tiler or someone who works with tiles or brick.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,346 Americans carry the last name Hiller. That puts it at #4,210 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hiller 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 Hiller with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.3K
1 in 36,674
Census rank
#4,210
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,150 bearers of the surname Hiller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4210th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hiller
The surname Hiller is derived from a German occupational name for a maker of hill staffs, also known as a pitchfork. It originates from the Middle High German word "hille" meaning hill or heap, and the suffix "-er" denoting someone who does something.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Hiller dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Mellicensis, a medieval cartulary from the Melk Abbey in Austria. In this document, a certain "Heinricus Hillarius" is mentioned in relation to a land transaction in the year 1256.
During the Middle Ages, the name Hiller was predominantly found in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Austria. It is believed that the name may have first emerged in these regions due to the prevalence of agricultural communities and the need for specialized occupations such as pitchfork makers.
In the 14th century, the Hiller name can be found in various historical records, including the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of documents from the region of Württemberg in southwestern Germany. One notable entry from 1358 mentions a "Hainrich Hiller" in relation to a land dispute.
As the name spread throughout Germany and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, such as Hiller, Hiller, and Hillert. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the personal preferences of scribes and record-keepers.
Notable individuals with the surname Hiller include:
1. Johann Adam Hiller (1728-1804), a German composer and writer on music theory.
2. Ferdinand Hiller (1811-1885), a German composer and conductor who was a friend of Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn.
3. Wendy Hiller (1912-2003), an English actress best known for her role in the film "Pygmalion" (1938).
4. Lejaren Hiller (1924-1994), an American composer and chemist who pioneered the use of computer technology in music composition.
5. Arthur Hiller (1923-2016), a Canadian-American film director known for movies such as "Love Story" (1970) and "The In-Laws" (1979).
While the Hiller surname is predominantly associated with German-speaking regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the occupational name for pitchfork makers in medieval Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hiller
Among Census respondents with the surname Hiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hiller 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 Hiller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 7,183
- Black or African American4.5% · 370
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 266
- Two or more races3.1% · 252
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hiller
Hiller 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
#3,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,546
+1,483 bearers (+16.4%)
Per 100,000 3.58
Rank movement Up 214 places
2020
#4,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,150
-2,396 bearers (-22.7%)
Per 100,000 2.73
Rank movement Down 823 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,601 | 9,063 | 3.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,387 | 10,546 | 3.58 | +1,483 bearers (+16.4%) | Up 214 places |
| 2020 | #4,210 | 8,150 | 2.73 | -2,396 bearers (-22.7%) | Down 823 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 Hiller 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 | #3,387 | #4,210 | -24.3% |
| Count | 10,546 | 8,150 | -22.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.58 | 2.73 | -23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hiller bearers went from 10,546 to 8,150 (-22.7% change). The surname moved down 823 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,387 to #4,210.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hiller
FAQ
Hiller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hiller?
Name Census estimates that about 9,346 living Americans carry the surname Hiller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,674 residents.
How common is Hiller?
Hiller ranks #4,210 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,150 people with the surname Hiller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,346), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Hiller.
Has Hiller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hiller went from 10,546 recorded bearers to 8,150. That is a decrease of 2,396 (-22.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,387 to #4,210.
What does the Census say about the background of Hiller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Hiller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (7,183 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hiller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Black (4.5%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Hiller (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 Hiller mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a roof tiler or someone who works with tiles or brick. 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 Hiller (2.73 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 Americans have the surname Hiller?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.