2000
#1,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,581
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.37
Uncommon Last name
Hinkle
Derived from a place name meaning "Hink's hill" in Old English, likely referring to a settlement on a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,988 Americans carry the last name Hinkle. That puts it at #1,602 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,717 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hinkle 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.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,717
Census rank
#1,602
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,791 bearers of the surname Hinkle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1602nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hinkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hinkle
The surname Hinkle originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "henker," which translates to "executioner" or "hangman." This suggests that the name's original bearers may have held positions related to law enforcement or the execution of legal punishments.
During the Middle Ages, the Hinkle surname appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts across German-speaking regions. One notable example is its mention in the Würzburg City Archives from the year 1367, where a certain Johannes Hinkele is listed as a resident.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent several spelling variations, such as Hinckel, Hinkel, and Hinkl. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of record keepers.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Hinkle surname was Hans Hinkle, a German mercenary who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Hinkle (1630-1701), a respected theologian and author from Saxony.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, many Hinkle families migrated from Germany to various parts of Europe and North America, seeking new opportunities or fleeing religious persecution. Among these migrants was Jacob Hinkle (1685-1768), who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent landowner and farmer.
As the Hinkle surname spread across different regions, it sometimes evolved to resemble local place names or geographic features. For instance, the town of Hinkelhausen in Bavaria, Germany, may have contributed to the surname's evolution in that area.
Over the centuries, the Hinkle name has been associated with several accomplished individuals, including:
1. Johann Adam Hinkle (1768-1837), a German-born American composer and music educator.
2. Mary Hinkle (1844-1920), a renowned American educator and advocate for women's rights.
3. Erville Hinkle (1892-1975), an American artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraiture.
4. Vance Hinkle (1901-1986), a distinguished American architect and urban planner.
5. Garrett Hinkle (1917-2005), a highly decorated American soldier who served in World War II and received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions.
While the Hinkle surname has its roots in Germany and evolved through various regional influences, it has since become a part of the cultural fabric of many nations, reflecting the diverse journeys and accomplishments of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hinkle
Among Census respondents with the surname Hinkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hinkle 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 Hinkle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 18,788
- Black or African American5.7% · 1,252
- Two or more races4.1% · 899
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 580
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 156
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 116
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hinkle
Hinkle 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
#1,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,983
+402 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 7.79
Rank movement Down 116 places
2020
#1,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,791
-1,192 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 7.29
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,449 | 22,581 | 8.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,565 | 22,983 | 7.79 | +402 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 116 places |
| 2020 | #1,602 | 21,791 | 7.29 | -1,192 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 37 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 Hinkle 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 | #1,565 | #1,602 | -2.4% |
| Count | 22,983 | 21,791 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 7.79 | 7.29 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hinkle bearers went from 22,983 to 21,791 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,565 to #1,602.
FAQ
Hinkle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hinkle?
Name Census estimates that about 24,988 living Americans carry the surname Hinkle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,717 residents.
How common is Hinkle?
Hinkle ranks #1,602 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,791 people with the surname Hinkle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,988), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Hinkle.
Has Hinkle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hinkle went from 22,983 recorded bearers to 21,791. That is a decrease of 1,192 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,565 to #1,602.
What does the Census say about the background of Hinkle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hinkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Hinkle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (18,788 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hinkle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Black (5.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Hinkle (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 Hinkle mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Hink's hill" in Old English, likely referring to a settlement on a hill. 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 Hinkle (7.29 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 people are called Hinkle?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Hinkle? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.