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

Hinton, 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 Hinton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hinton in America

Hinton is the 979th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hinton surname appeared 35,606 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Hinton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hinton 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 Hinton

The surname Hinton originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hine," meaning a servant or household retainer, and "tun," meaning a farm or settlement. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived or worked on a farm or estate.

The earliest known record of the surname Hinton appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it is spelled "Hintone." This spelling variation reflects the name's connection to various place names in England, such as Hinton Charterhouse in Somerset, Hinton St. George in Somerset, and Hinton Ampner in Hampshire.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror, several places with names similar to Hinton are mentioned, including Hintone (Gloucestershire), Hintone (Wiltshire), and Hintone (Berkshire). This further reinforces the surname's ties to specific locations in England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John de Hinton, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. Another notable figure was Sir John Hinton, a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1399 and 1402.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Hinton surname, including:

1. John Howard Hinton (1791-1873), an English Baptist minister and writer.
2. James Hinton (1822-1875), an English philosopher and writer on auricular surgery.
3. Richard Josiah Hinton (1825-1905), an English Baptist minister and author.
4. Mary Hinton (1844-1909), an English artist and illustrator.
5. Arthur Hinton (1869-1952), a British aviator and aviation pioneer.

It's worth noting that the surname Hinton has also been associated with various place names, such as Hinton St. Mary in Dorset, Hinton Waldrist in Berkshire, and Hinton Parva in Wiltshire, further reinforcing its connection to specific locations in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hinton

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

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

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

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