2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hiti
A surname originating from an Albanian place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Hiti. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hiti 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Hiti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hiti, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hiti
The surname HITI has its origins in Estonia, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Estonian word "hiit," which referred to a pagan sacred site or grove. These sites were often located in wooded areas and served as places of worship for ancient Estonian tribes.
In the Middle Ages, many Estonian families adopted surnames based on their geographic location or proximity to significant landmarks. The HITI surname likely emerged from individuals or families residing near a hiit, or sacred grove. This name would have initially been used as a descriptive identifier before becoming a hereditary surname.
Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries mention individuals with variations of the HITI surname, such as Hittiman and Hitteson, indicating their association with a hiit. The earliest known record of the HITI surname itself dates back to 1412, when a farmer named Jaan HITI was mentioned in a land registry document from the village of Märjamaa in central Estonia.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the HITI surname appeared in various Estonian parish records and tax rolls. One notable bearer of the name was Mihkel HITI (1538-1612), a respected village elder and landowner in the region of Viljandi.
In the 18th century, the HITI surname spread beyond Estonia as individuals migrated to other parts of the Baltic region and Russia. Jaan HITI (1701-1778), a merchant from Tallinn, established a successful trading business in St. Petersburg and was one of the first Estonian settlers in the city.
Another prominent figure with the HITI surname was Kristjan HITI (1822-1892), a Lutheran pastor and educator who played a significant role in the Estonian national awakening movement. He advocated for the preservation of Estonian language and culture during the period of Russian imperial rule.
In the 19th century, the HITI surname also appeared in historical records from Finland, where some Estonian families had settled. One notable individual was Henrik HITI (1845-1917), a Finnish-Estonian businessman and industrialist who founded several successful enterprises in the timber and paper industries.
Over the centuries, the HITI surname has been associated with various professions, including farmers, merchants, clergy, and educators. While not an extremely common surname, it remains an integral part of Estonia's cultural heritage, reflecting the nation's ancient pagan roots and the enduring connection between people and the natural world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hiti
Among Census respondents with the surname Hiti, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hiti 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 Hiti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hiti
Hiti 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,952 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 18,952 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 2,174 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 Hiti 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 | #149,395 | #147,221 | 1.5% |
| Count | 110 | 113 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hiti bearers went from 110 to 113 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 2,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #147,221.
FAQ
Hiti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hiti?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Hiti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Hiti?
Hiti ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Hiti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Hiti.
Has Hiti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hiti went from 110 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Hiti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hiti, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (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 Hiti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hiti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (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 Hiti (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 Hiti mean?
A surname originating from an Albanian place name. 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 Hiti (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 share the surname Hiti?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.