2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hillert
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller on a hillock".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 141 Americans carry the last name Hillert. That puts it at #139,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,430,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hillert 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
141
1 in 2,430,882
Census rank
#139,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
123
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 123 bearers of the surname Hillert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hillert, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hillert
The surname HILLERT has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "hilthart," which means "battle hardy" or "brave in battle." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to a person who distinguished themselves in combat or warfare.
The earliest recorded instances of the name HILLERT can be found in medieval German documents and records. One notable example is a reference to a knight named Hildebrand Hillert, who fought in the Crusades during the late 12th century. Another early mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, which includes a record of a landowner named Gerhard Hillert from the year 1240.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name HILLERT began to appear in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around the cities of Nuremberg and Augsburg. It is believed that the name may have originated in these regions, as there are records of families with the surname HILLERT living in villages and towns near these cities.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name HILLERT is Johannes Hillert, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 14th century. He was born in Nuremberg in 1352 and is known for his writings on religious philosophy and his contributions to the intellectual life of the city.
Another notable figure with the surname HILLERT is Hans Hillert, a German artist and printmaker who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Augsburg in 1507 and is recognized for his intricate woodcuts and engravings, many of which depicted religious scenes and allegories.
In the 17th century, the HILLERT name can be found in various records and documents from the region of Bavaria. One such example is a mention of a merchant named Heinrich Hillert, who was involved in the trade of textiles and spices in the city of Munich during the 1620s.
As the centuries passed, the HILLERT surname continued to spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe. In the 19th century, there was a notable individual named Wilhelm Hillert, a German philosopher and writer who was born in Berlin in 1832. He was known for his works on ethics and his contributions to the field of moral philosophy.
Overall, the surname HILLERT has a rich history rooted in medieval Germany, with a meaning that suggests a connection to bravery and prowess in battle. While its origins can be traced back to specific regions and cities, the name has since spread across Germany and beyond, with notable bearers emerging throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hillert
Among Census respondents with the surname Hillert, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hillert 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 Hillert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hillert
Hillert 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-27 bearers (-18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 28,109 places
2020
#139,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 557 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-18.4%) | Down 28,109 places |
| 2020 | #139,785 | 123 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 557 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 Hillert 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 | #139,228 | #139,785 | -0.4% |
| Count | 120 | 123 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hillert bearers went from 120 to 123 (+2.5% change). The surname moved down 557 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #139,785.
FAQ
Hillert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hillert?
Name Census estimates that about 141 living Americans carry the surname Hillert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,430,882 residents.
How common is Hillert?
Hillert ranks #139,785 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 123 people with the surname Hillert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (141), 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 Hillert.
Has Hillert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hillert went from 120 recorded bearers to 123. That is an increase of 3 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #139,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Hillert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hillert, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Hillert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hillert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Hispanic (1.6%), Black (0.8%). 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 Hillert (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 Hillert mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller on a hillock". 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 Hillert (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 share the surname Hillert?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.