2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hithe
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning a landing place or wharf.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Hithe. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hithe 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Hithe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hithe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.1%) and Two or More Races (13.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hithe
The surname Hithe has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hythe," which referred to a small port, haven, or landing place. This suggests that the name likely originated among individuals who lived near or worked in a small port or harbor.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Hithe can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a Robert de la Hithe in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a Henry atte Hythe.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to several place names containing the word "hythe." These include Hithe in Kent, Hythe in Hampshire, and Hythe in Gloucestershire, among others. It is possible that the surname Hithe may have originated from individuals associated with these locations.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Hithe include:
1. John Hithe (c. 1330-1399), an English philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on logic and metaphysics.
2. William Hithe (c. 1410-1478), a merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century.
3. Alice Hithe (c. 1520-1590), a prominent landowner and benefactor in Kent during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
4. Thomas Hithe (1625-1687), a Puritan minister and author who was active during the English Civil War.
5. Samuel Hithe (1770-1845), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars.
While the surname Hithe is relatively uncommon today, its historical roots can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, where it was likely associated with coastal settlements and maritime activities. The name's enduring presence in historical records and its connection to various notable figures reflect its long-standing heritage and significance within English nomenclature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hithe
Among Census respondents with the surname Hithe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.1%) and Two or More Races (13.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hithe 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 Hithe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American60.7% · 71
- White17.1% · 20
- Two or more races13.7% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hithe
Hithe 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+11 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,414 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,943 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 1,414 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 6,943 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 Hithe 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 | #137,327 | #144,270 | -5.1% |
| Count | 122 | 117 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hithe bearers went from 122 to 117 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 6,943 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #144,270.
FAQ
Hithe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hithe?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Hithe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Hithe?
Hithe ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Hithe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Hithe.
Has Hithe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hithe went from 122 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Hithe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hithe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.1%) and Two or More Races (13.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hithe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.7% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hithe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (60.7%), White (17.1%), Two or More Races (13.7%). 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 Hithe (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 Hithe mean?
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning a landing place or wharf. 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 Hithe (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 many people have the surname Hithe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.