2000
#11,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,413
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Hipps
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived on a hill or worked as a stagehand.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,558 Americans carry the last name Hipps. That puts it at #13,139 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hipps 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
2.6K
1 in 133,993
Census rank
#13,139
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,231 bearers of the surname Hipps in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13139th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hipps, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hipps
The surname "HIPPS" is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era. Initially, the name was derived from the Old English word "hype," which referred to a hip or the seed-bearing fruit of the dog-rose plant. This connection suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been associated with either the cultivation or trade of these fruits.
During the 13th century, records show variations of the name appearing in various parts of England, such as "Hyppe" in Lincolnshire and "Hippe" in Yorkshire. These early spellings reflect the regional dialects and phonetic adaptations common in those times.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a certain "William Hippe" is mentioned as a resident of Oxfordshire.
By the 14th century, the surname had evolved into its more recognizable form, "Hipps," as evidenced by the records of the Poll Tax of 1379, which list a "John Hipps" from Warwickshire.
In the 16th century, the name appears to have gained prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One such figure was Sir William Hipps (1520-1588), a respected landowner and magistrate in Gloucestershire, whose family had held estates in the region for generations.
Another influential bearer of the name was Robert Hipps (1545-1612), an accomplished scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral from 1597 until his death.
During the 17th century, the name continued to be associated with various trades and professions. For instance, records show a Thomas Hipps (1625-1698) who was a respected merchant and shipowner based in Bristol, engaging in international trade.
In the literary realm, one cannot overlook the contributions of the poet and playwright, Elizabeth Hipps (1670-1739), whose works were widely acclaimed during the Augustan era.
As the centuries progressed, the Hipps surname spread across various regions of England, with notable families establishing themselves in counties such as Devon, Somerset, and Lancashire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hipps
Among Census respondents with the surname Hipps, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hipps 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 Hipps surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 1,799
- Black or African American11.9% · 266
- Two or more races3.5% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hipps
Hipps 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
#12,760
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,418
+5 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 881 places
2020
#13,139
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,231
-187 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,879 | 2,413 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,760 | 2,418 | 0.82 | +5 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 881 places |
| 2020 | #13,139 | 2,231 | 0.75 | -187 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 379 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 Hipps 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 | #12,760 | #13,139 | -3.0% |
| Count | 2,418 | 2,231 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.75 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hipps bearers went from 2,418 to 2,231 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 379 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,760 to #13,139.
FAQ
Hipps surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hipps?
Name Census estimates that about 2,558 living Americans carry the surname Hipps. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,993 residents.
How common is Hipps?
Hipps ranks #13,139 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,231 people with the surname Hipps. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,558), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Hipps.
Has Hipps become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hipps went from 2,418 recorded bearers to 2,231. That is a decrease of 187 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,760 to #13,139.
What does the Census say about the background of Hipps?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hipps, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Hipps in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (1,799 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hipps appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Black (11.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Hipps (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 Hipps mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived on a hill or worked as a stagehand. 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 Hipps (0.75 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 Hipps?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.