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

Hinckley, 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 Hinckley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hinckley in America

Hinckley is the 7835th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hinckley surname appeared 4,227 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 Hinckley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hinckley 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 Hinckley

The surname Hinckley is of English origin, derived from the town of Hinckley in Leicestershire. The name can be traced back to the 11th century, with the earliest known spelling being "Hinguelei" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The name is believed to have its roots in the Old English words "hinca" meaning "hinge" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." This suggests that the name originally referred to a person who lived in a meadow or clearing near a hinge-like bend in a river or road.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hinckley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire from 1194, where a Robert de Hinguelei is mentioned. In the 13th century, the spelling evolved to "Hinkeley" and "Hynkeley," indicating the name's association with the town of Hinckley.

During the Middle Ages, the town of Hinckley gained prominence as a center for the production of high-quality wool and leather goods. This connection with the local industry may have contributed to the widespread adoption of the surname by families residing in the area.

Notable individuals with the surname Hinckley include:

1. Thomas Hinckley (1618-1706), an early colonial governor of Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts.
2. Ephraim Hinckley (1639-1720), a lieutenant in the militia during King Philip's War and a member of the Massachusetts General Court.
3. John Hinckley Jr. (born 1955), an American man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
4. Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008), the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who served from 1995 to 2008.
5. Sir John Hinckley (1633-1701), an English politician and member of Parliament for Hertfordshire.

While the surname Hinckley has its roots in a specific town in Leicestershire, it has since spread throughout England and beyond, carried by families and individuals who have contributed to various aspects of history and society over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hinckley

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

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

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

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