2000
#5,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,336
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.98
Rare Last name
Hinman
A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near or worked on a farm or estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,620 Americans carry the last name Hinman. That puts it at #6,626 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,988 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hinman 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 Hinman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 60,988
Census rank
#6,626
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,901 bearers of the surname Hinman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6626th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hinman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hinman
The surname Hinman is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hine," meaning servant or attendant, and "mann," meaning man. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a servant or attendant of a household.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name is William Hyneman, who is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1273. This historical record was a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I.
The name Hinman also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, where a John Hyneman is listed as a taxpayer. These rolls were records of taxes levied by the English government during the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the name is found in various forms, such as Hynman, Hyneman, and Hyneman, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that period. One notable bearer of the name was John Hynman, who was born in Shropshire, England, around 1430 and was a prominent merchant and landowner.
As the surname spread across England, it became associated with certain place names. For instance, the village of Hinman in Worcestershire may have derived its name from the Hinman family, who were likely landowners or residents in the area.
In the 16th century, the name Hinman gained further recognition with the birth of Richard Hinman (1545-1623), a notable English clergyman and author. He served as the rector of Hingham, Norfolk, and wrote several religious works.
Another notable figure bearing the Hinman surname was Benjamin Hinman (1719-1809), a military officer and surveyor from Connecticut, who served in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, the Hinman name gained prominence in the United States, with individuals such as Royal Ralph Hinman (1785-1867), a prominent lawyer and politician from Connecticut, and William Hinman (1820-1899), a businessman and philanthropist from Ohio.
Throughout its history, the Hinman surname has been associated with various professions, including clergy, military, law, business, and academia. While its origins can be traced back to England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hinman
Among Census respondents with the surname Hinman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hinman 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 Hinman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 4,439
- Two or more races3.8% · 187
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 149
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 44
- Black or African American0.7% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hinman
Hinman 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
#6,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,303
-33 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 476 places
2020
#6,626
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,901
-402 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 213 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,937 | 5,336 | 1.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,413 | 5,303 | 1.80 | -33 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 476 places |
| 2020 | #6,626 | 4,901 | 1.64 | -402 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 213 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 Hinman 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 | #6,413 | #6,626 | -3.3% |
| Count | 5,303 | 4,901 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.80 | 1.64 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hinman bearers went from 5,303 to 4,901 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 213 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,413 to #6,626.
FAQ
Hinman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hinman?
Name Census estimates that about 5,620 living Americans carry the surname Hinman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,988 residents.
How common is Hinman?
Hinman ranks #6,626 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,901 people with the surname Hinman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,620), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hinman.
Has Hinman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hinman went from 5,303 recorded bearers to 4,901. That is a decrease of 402 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,413 to #6,626.
What does the Census say about the background of Hinman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hinman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Hinman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (4,439 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hinman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Hinman (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 Hinman mean?
A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near or worked on a farm or estate. 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 Hinman (1.64 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 Hinman?
If you just want to know how many people are called Hinman, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.