2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hilmoe
Possibly a Danish surname derived from a medieval personal name meaning "helmet".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Hilmoe. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hilmoe 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Hilmoe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hilmoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hilmoe
The surname HILMOE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from a combination of the Old English words "hil" meaning hill and "mo" meaning meadow or field. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a hill or in a field on a hillside.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HILMOE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. While the exact spelling may have varied slightly, the presence of the name in this important historical document suggests that it was already well-established in certain regions of the country by the late 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages and into the early modern period, the name HILMOE continued to appear in various records and documents across England. In some cases, variations in spelling, such as "Hilmo" or "Hilmoo," can be observed, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during this time.
One notable individual bearing the HILMOE surname was Sir William HILMOE, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in the 16th century. Born in 1532 in Gloucestershire, he played a significant role in local affairs and served as a justice of the peace. Another individual of note was Elizabeth HILMOE (1674-1749), a prominent figure in the English Quaker community, known for her writings and advocacy for religious tolerance.
In the 18th century, the name HILMOE appeared in connection with several place names, such as Hilmoe Manor in Oxfordshire and Hilmoe village in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the influence and presence of families bearing this name in those areas.
Other notable individuals with the HILMOE surname include John HILMOE (1792-1867), a successful merchant and philanthropist in London, and Mary HILMOE (1826-1901), a respected educator and advocate for women's rights in the latter half of the 19th century.
While the surname HILMOE has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, its origins and evolution reflect the rich tapestry of English surnames and their connections to geography, occupation, and personal characteristics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hilmoe
Among Census respondents with the surname Hilmoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hilmoe 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 Hilmoe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 112
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hilmoe
Hilmoe 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,716 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,262 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 13,716 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 7,262 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 Hilmoe 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 | #151,532 | #144,270 | 4.8% |
| Count | 108 | 117 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hilmoe bearers went from 108 to 117 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 7,262 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #144,270.
FAQ
Hilmoe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hilmoe?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Hilmoe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Hilmoe?
Hilmoe ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Hilmoe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Hilmoe.
Has Hilmoe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hilmoe went from 108 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 9 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Hilmoe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hilmoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Hilmoe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hilmoe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Hilmoe (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 Hilmoe mean?
Possibly a Danish surname derived from a medieval personal name meaning "helmet". 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 Hilmoe (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 Hilmoe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.