2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hios
Of Greek origin denoting someone from the island of Chios.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Hios. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hios 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Hios in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hios, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hios
The surname HIOS originates from Greece, with records dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "hios," which means "son." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a patronymic, indicating a person's relationship to their father.
In ancient Greek manuscripts, variations of the name, such as "Hiou" and "Hious," have been found. These early spellings provide insight into the name's evolution over time. Additionally, the name HIOS has been associated with certain regions of Greece, particularly the Aegean Islands and the Peloponnese peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HIOS can be found in a 16th-century Greek census record from the island of Crete. This document lists several families with the surname, indicating its presence in the region during that period.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name HIOS was Georgios Hios, a Greek scholar and philosopher who lived from 1620 to 1685. He was renowned for his contributions to the field of philosophy and his writings on ethics and metaphysics.
Another individual of historical significance was Alexandros Hios (1780-1852), a Greek military leader and politician who played a crucial role in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.
During the 19th century, the name HIOS gained prominence in the field of literature with the poet and playwright Dimitrios Hios (1818-1892). His works were widely celebrated and contributed to the preservation of Greek cultural heritage.
In the early 20th century, Eleni Hios (1901-1978) was a prominent Greek actress who graced the stage and silver screen with her performances. She is remembered as one of the most influential figures in Greek theater during her time.
Another notable figure was Nikos Hios (1925-2005), a renowned Greek architect whose innovative designs left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of Greece and beyond.
Throughout its history, the surname HIOS has been associated with various place names and locations in Greece, such as the island of Hios (also known as Chios) and the village of Hios in the Peloponnese region. These place names may have influenced the surname's spelling and pronunciation over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hios
Among Census respondents with the surname Hios, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hios 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 Hios surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hios
Hios 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+17 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,087 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 8,087 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,338 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 Hios 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 | #140,157 | #146,495 | -4.5% |
| Count | 119 | 114 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hios bearers went from 119 to 114 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #146,495.
FAQ
Hios surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hios?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Hios. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Hios?
Hios ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Hios. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hios.
Has Hios become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hios went from 119 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Hios?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hios, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Hios in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hios appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (2.6%), Black (1.8%). 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 Hios (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 Hios mean?
Of Greek origin denoting someone from the island of Chios. 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 Hios (0.04 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 common is the surname Hios?
You can see how many people have the last name Hios on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.