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

Hilton, 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 Hilton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hilton in America

Hilton is the 1223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hilton surname appeared 28,918 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Hilton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hilton 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 Hilton

The surname Hilton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hyl" meaning hill and "tun" meaning settlement or enclosure. It is a locational surname that initially referred to individuals who lived near a hill or in a hilltop town or village.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Hilton date back to the 12th century, with references found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166. The surname is also mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hiltone" and "Hiltun," referring to various places with similar names across England.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Roger Hilton, a 13th-century English knight and landowner from Westmorland, now part of Cumbria. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King Edward I and served as the Sheriff of Westmorland in 1284.

Another historical figure with the surname Hilton was Walter Hilton, a 14th-century English Augustinian canon and celebrated mystic writer. He authored several influential works on spiritual contemplation, including "The Ladder of Perfection" and "The Mixed Life." He lived from around 1340 to 1396.

In the 15th century, John Hilton, a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, played a significant role in the wool trade. He served as the Master of the Mercers' Company in 1463 and was a benefactor to various charitable causes in London.

During the 16th century, the Hilton family of Lincolnshire rose to prominence, with members such as Sir William Hilton, who served as the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1593. The family's ancestral seat was at Hilton Manor in the village of Hilton, which likely contributed to the widespread adoption of the surname in the area.

In the 17th century, Edward Hilton, a merchant and landowner from Northamptonshire, became a prominent figure in the colonization of Bermuda. He served as the Governor of the Somers Isles (now Bermuda) from 1616 to 1618 and played a crucial role in the early development of the colony.

Throughout its history, the surname Hilton has been associated with various place names across England, such as Hilton in Derbyshire, Hilton in Staffordshire, and Hilton in Westmorland, among others. The name has also been spelled in different ways over time, including Hylton, Hylten, and Hylten.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hilton

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

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

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

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