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

Himes, 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 Himes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Himes in America

Himes is the 4026th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Himes surname appeared 8,831 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Himes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Himes 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 Himes

The surname HIMES is believed to have originated in Germany, where it was derived from the Middle High German word "heim," meaning "home" or "homestead." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a particular home or village. It is also possible that the name was a topographic name, referring to a person who lived in a specific location with a similar-sounding name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HIMES can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the former Principality of Anhalt in central Germany, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spellings, including "Heimes" and "Heimis."

In England, the name HIMES is documented as early as the 13th century, possibly brought over by German immigrants or as a variant of the English place name "Himes" or "Hyme," derived from the Old English words "hym" (a corner or angle) and "hieman" (a homestead or dwelling).

Among notable individuals with the surname HIMES throughout history are:

1. Andrew Himes (1733-1809), an American Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer settler in what is now West Virginia.
2. George Ellery Hale Himes (1900-1987), an American philosopher and author known for his works on existentialism and ethics.
3. John Russell Himes (1788-1865), an American physician and advocate of birth control and family planning.
4. Christine Himes (born 1957), an American author and journalist known for her works on contemporary Chinese culture and society.
5. William D. Himes (1922-2010), an American businessman and philanthropist who served as the chairman and CEO of Converse Inc.

The name HIMES has also been associated with various place names, such as Himes, a village in the commune of Hauteville-la-Guichard in northeastern France, and Himes Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River in West Virginia, named after the early settler Andrew Himes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Himes

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

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

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

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