2000
#12,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,304
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Hively
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a lively or active person, from the word "hive" meaning active.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,503 Americans carry the last name Hively. That puts it at #13,352 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,937 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hively 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
2.5K
1 in 136,937
Census rank
#13,352
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,183 bearers of the surname Hively in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13352nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hively, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hively
Among Census respondents with the surname Hively, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hively 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 Hively surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 2,029
- Two or more races3.3% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 52
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hively
Hively 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
#13,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,350
+46 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 698 places
2020
#13,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,183
-167 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 287 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,367 | 2,304 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,065 | 2,350 | 0.80 | +46 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 698 places |
| 2020 | #13,352 | 2,183 | 0.73 | -167 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 287 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 Hively 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 | #13,065 | #13,352 | -2.2% |
| Count | 2,350 | 2,183 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.73 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hively bearers went from 2,350 to 2,183 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 287 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,065 to #13,352.
FAQ
Hively surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hively?
Name Census estimates that about 2,503 living Americans carry the surname Hively. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,937 residents.
How common is Hively?
Hively ranks #13,352 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,183 people with the surname Hively. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,503), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Hively.
Has Hively become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hively went from 2,350 recorded bearers to 2,183. That is a decrease of 167 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,065 to #13,352.
What does the Census say about the background of Hively?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hively, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Hively in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (2,029 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hively appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Hively (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 Hively mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a lively or active person, from the word "hive" meaning active. 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 Hively (0.73 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 common is the surname Hively?
See how many people have the last name Hively on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.