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

Hitchens, 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 Hitchens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hitchens in America

Hitchens is the 13010th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hitchens surname appeared 2,359 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hitchens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hitchens 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 Hitchens

The surname Hitchens originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is a locational surname derived from the village of Hitchin in Hertfordshire. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "hiccian" meaning "to stumble or hiccup" and "hlinc" meaning "ridge or bank."

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Hitchens can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Hertfordshire from 1275, where a Roger de Hycchen is mentioned. The name also appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1307 as Hitchin.

In the 14th century, the Hitchens name was documented in various medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of Hertfordshire from 1376, which mentions a William Hitchyn. The spelling variations during this period included Hitchin, Hitchins, and Hychyn.

The Hitchens family was well-established in Hertfordshire and surrounding areas, with several individuals bearing the name appearing in historical records. One notable figure was John Hitchens, born in 1594, who was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London.

Another notable Hitchens was Robert Hitchens (1572-1636), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of St. Albans. His works included "The Quintescence of Philosophy" and "The Whole Doctrine of Book-Keeping."

In the 18th century, the Reverend John Hitchens (1715-1799) was a notable figure, serving as the Rector of Holwell, Somerset. He was the author of several theological works, including "A Discourse on the Nature and Necessity of Regeneration."

The 19th century saw the birth of Thomas Hitchens (1839-1903), a British politician and barrister who served as a Member of Parliament for West Staffordshire from 1885 to 1892.

Another prominent figure with the Hitchens surname was Sir Alfred Hitchens (1856-1942), a British civil engineer and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Straits Settlements (now part of Malaysia and Singapore) from 1911 to 1920.

Throughout its history, the Hitchens name has maintained a strong association with the English counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, reflecting its origins in the village of Hitchin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hitchens

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

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

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

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