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

Hilt, 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 Hilt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hilt in America

Hilt is the 10119th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hilt surname appeared 3,185 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 Hilt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hilt 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 Hilt

The surname HILT originated in Germany and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "hilte," meaning "hilt" or "grip" of a sword or dagger. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who made or sold sword hilts or grips.

The earliest recorded instances of the HILT surname can be found in the German towns of Cologne and Frankfurt, where it appeared in medieval tax records and guild registers. Some variations of the spelling include Hilte, Hilten, and Hilter.

One of the earliest known bearers of the HILT name was Johannes Hilte, a sword maker from Cologne who lived in the late 14th century. His name appeared in the city's guild records from 1387.

In the 16th century, the HILT surname began to spread beyond Germany, with some families settling in the Netherlands and Switzerland. One notable Swiss bearer of the name was Hans Hilt, a Protestant reformer and theologian who lived from 1492 to 1570.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many HILT families emigrated to various parts of the United States and Canada, particularly Pennsylvania and Ontario. One early American bearer of the name was Jacob Hilt, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1720s.

Another prominent figure with the HILT surname was Friedrich Hilt, a German philosopher and author who lived from 1813 to 1887. He wrote extensively on ethics and political theory.

In the 19th century, the HILT name also appeared in various parts of Europe, including England and France. One notable English bearer of the name was Sir William Hilt, a politician and businessman who served as Mayor of London from 1856 to 1857.

While the HILT surname is not as common as some other German names, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and countries. Its origins in the sword-making trade reflect the cultural and economic significance of metalworking in medieval Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hilt

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

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

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

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