2000
#8,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,774
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Hine
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a low-lying area or enclosure.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,889 Americans carry the last name Hine. That puts it at #9,225 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hine 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,134
Census rank
#9,225
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,391 bearers of the surname Hine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9225th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hine, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hine
The surname HINE is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hine," which referred to a servant or domestic worker. It may also have roots in the Middle English word "hine," meaning a farm laborer or peasant.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname HINE can be found in various medieval records and documents from across England. In the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, there is mention of a William Hine. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also reference a John le Hine in Oxfordshire.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname HINE began to appear more frequently in various parts of southern and central England, particularly in counties such as Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire. It is believed that many of these early bearers of the name were likely agricultural workers or servants on the estates of wealthy landowners.
One notable historical figure with the surname HINE was Thomas Hine (c. 1550-1628), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Stedham in West Sussex. He is best known for his work "The Life and Death of James Rivault," which was published in 1605.
Another individual of note was Edward Hine (1662-1738), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset who served as the High Sheriff of Somerset in 1706. His family had been established in the county for several generations.
In the 18th century, the HINE surname began to spread more widely across England and into other parts of the British Isles. John Hine (1737-1805) was a renowned English landscape painter and engraver, while Nathaniel Hine (1768-1838) was a noted English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable figures with the HINE surname, including Charles Hine (1811-1880), a British architect and civil engineer who was involved in the design and construction of various railways and bridges across England and Wales.
Throughout its history, the surname HINE has also been associated with various place names and locations across England, such as Hine Farm in Somerset, Hine's Bottom in Gloucestershire, and Hine's Meadow in Wiltshire. These place names likely originated from individuals or families with the surname HINE who lived or owned land in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hine
Among Census respondents with the surname Hine, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hine 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 Hine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 3,010
- Two or more races3.9% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 129
- Black or African American1.9% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hine
Hine 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
#8,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,738
-36 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 678 places
2020
#9,225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,391
-347 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 455 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,092 | 3,774 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,770 | 3,738 | 1.27 | -36 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 678 places |
| 2020 | #9,225 | 3,391 | 1.13 | -347 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 455 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 Hine 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 | #8,770 | #9,225 | -5.2% |
| Count | 3,738 | 3,391 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.13 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hine bearers went from 3,738 to 3,391 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 455 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,770 to #9,225.
FAQ
Hine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hine?
Name Census estimates that about 3,889 living Americans carry the surname Hine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,134 residents.
How common is Hine?
Hine ranks #9,225 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,391 people with the surname Hine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,889), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hine.
Has Hine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hine went from 3,738 recorded bearers to 3,391. That is a decrease of 347 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,770 to #9,225.
What does the Census say about the background of Hine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hine, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Hine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (3,010 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Hine (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 Hine mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a low-lying area or enclosure. 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 Hine (1.13 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 Americans have the surname Hine?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.