2000
#6,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,847
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.80
Rare Last name
Hixon
Derived from a place name meaning "Hicca's farmstead" in Old English, referring to a settlement established by someone named Hicca.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,564 Americans carry the last name Hixon. That puts it at #6,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,602 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hixon 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hixon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 61,602
Census rank
#6,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,852 bearers of the surname Hixon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hixon, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hixon
The surname HIXON is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from a place name, specifically the village of Hixon in Staffordshire, England. The name itself is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "hicce" and "tun," meaning a hitch or dip, and a town or settlement, respectively.
During the Anglo-Saxon period, many surnames emerged from the names of villages, hamlets, or landmarks where people lived or had their ancestral roots. The earliest recorded instance of the HIXON surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hichesone," referring to someone from the village of Hixon.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the HIXON surname was Sir John de Hixon, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Historical records from the 14th century mention a John Hixon, who served as a member of the English Parliament in 1376.
The HIXON name continued to appear in various historical documents throughout the centuries. In the 16th century, records show a Thomas Hixon, born in 1543, who was a prominent landowner in Staffordshire. Another notable individual was Elizabeth Hixon, born in 1617, who was a pioneering educator and founded one of the earliest schools for girls in England.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure was Sir William Hixon (1692-1768), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of his hometown in Staffordshire. He was instrumental in establishing several charitable institutions and improving the local infrastructure.
During the 19th century, the HIXON surname gained recognition with the birth of Mary Hixon (1837-1912), a celebrated author and poet who published numerous works of literature and poetry. Her contemporary, James Hixon (1845-1923), was a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in London and other parts of England.
As the HIXON name spread across England and beyond, it continued to leave its mark in various fields, from literature and arts to business and politics. While these are just a few examples, the surname's rich history reflects the diverse contributions of those who have carried it through the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hixon
Among Census respondents with the surname Hixon, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hixon 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 Hixon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.6% · 3,864
- Black or African American11.2% · 544
- Two or more races5.1% · 249
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 138
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hixon
Hixon 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
#6,649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,091
+244 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.73
Rank movement Down 189 places
2020
#6,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,852
-239 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,460 | 4,847 | 1.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,649 | 5,091 | 1.73 | +244 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 189 places |
| 2020 | #6,686 | 4,852 | 1.62 | -239 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 37 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 Hixon 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 | #6,649 | #6,686 | -0.6% |
| Count | 5,091 | 4,852 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.73 | 1.62 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hixon bearers went from 5,091 to 4,852 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,649 to #6,686.
FAQ
Hixon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hixon?
Name Census estimates that about 5,564 living Americans carry the surname Hixon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,602 residents.
How common is Hixon?
Hixon ranks #6,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,852 people with the surname Hixon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,564), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hixon.
Has Hixon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hixon went from 5,091 recorded bearers to 4,852. That is a decrease of 239 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,649 to #6,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Hixon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hixon, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Hixon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (3,864 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hixon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.6%), Black (11.2%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Hixon (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 Hixon mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Hicca's farmstead" in Old English, referring to a settlement established by someone named Hicca. 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 Hixon (1.62 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 Hixon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.