Hively last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Hively

Derived from a Middle English nickname for a lively or active person, from the word "hive" meaning active.

Hively, 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 Hively surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hively in America

Hively is the 13065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hively surname appeared 2,350 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 Hively.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hively 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 13065 12367 5.49%
Count 2,350 2,304 1.98%
Proportion per 100k 0.80 0.85 -6.06%

The history of the last name Hively

The surname HIVELY has its roots in the English language and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "heafod," which means "head" or "top," and the suffix "-ly," which denotes a place or location. Consequently, the name HIVELY could have referred to a person who lived near a hilltop or a prominent geographical feature.

In the early days, surnames were often derived from a person's occupation, physical characteristics, or geographical location. The name HIVELY may have been given to someone who resided in a particular area known for its elevated terrain, such as a hill or a cliff.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HIVELY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from the year 1208, where a person named Roger de Hevely is mentioned. This suggests that variations of the name were in use during the 13th century.

The HIVELY surname has been associated with various notable individuals throughout history. One such person was John Hively, a Puritan minister who lived in the 17th century (1633-1687). He played a significant role in the early settlement of New England and was known for his sermons and writings.

Another prominent figure with the HIVELY surname was William Hively (1798-1876), an American politician and lawyer from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1851 to 1853.

In the realm of literature, Ella Hively (1883-1965), an American writer and novelist, made a name for herself with her works that explored themes of rural life and the experiences of small-town communities.

Moving into the 20th century, George Hively (1904-1985) was a respected American scientist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of chemistry. He served as a professor at several prestigious universities and was known for his research in organic chemistry.

It is worth noting that the name HIVELY has also been associated with various place names in different regions. For example, Hively Avenue is a street located in Elkhart, Indiana, while Hively Creek is a stream that flows through parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

While the surname HIVELY may not be as widespread as some other English surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from religion and politics to literature and science.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hively

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

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 Hively was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.38% 2,265
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.64% 15
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.11% 26
Hispanic Origin 1.57% 37

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 Hively has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.38% 96.31% 0.07%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.64% 0.43% 39.25%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.11% 1.35% -19.51%
Hispanic 1.57% 1.52% 3.24%

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

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

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"Hively last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/hively-surname-popularity/.

"Hively last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/hively-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Hively last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/hively-surname-popularity/.

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