2000
#11,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,436
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Huffaker
An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold a type of yeast bread.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,938 Americans carry the last name Huffaker. That puts it at #11,698 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Huffaker 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
2.9K
1 in 116,662
Census rank
#11,698
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,562 bearers of the surname Huffaker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11698th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Huffaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Huffaker
The surname HUFFAKER is of English origin, with roots that can be traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have emerged from the Old English word "huffer," which referred to someone who worked as a baker or seller of bread. This connection to the baking profession is evident in the surname's etymology, suggesting that early bearers of the name were likely involved in this trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HUFFAKER surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327. This historical document contains the name "Robert le Huffere," which is considered to be an early variant of the modern spelling. The use of the prefix "le" before the occupational designation was a common practice during that time, further solidifying the connection to the baking profession.
In the 16th century, the surname HUFFAKER started to appear in various parish records and historical documents across different regions of England. For instance, in the Churchwarden's Accounts of St. Mary's Church in Shrewsbury, dated 1560, there is a mention of a "John Huffaker," who was likely a resident of the area.
The earliest known individual with the surname HUFFAKER was William HUFFAKER, born around 1520 in Gloucestershire, England. Records indicate that he worked as a baker and owned a small bakery in the village of Winchcombe. Another noteworthy figure was Thomas HUFFAKER (1625-1695), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who played a significant role in the local community.
As the surname spread across England, it also appeared in various forms, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. Some of these variants include Huffeker, Hufficker, and Hufaker. Additionally, the name HUFFAKER has been associated with certain place names, such as Huffaker's Hill in Staffordshire, which may have been named after an early resident or landowner bearing the surname.
In the 18th century, several prominent individuals with the HUFFAKER surname emerged, including John HUFFAKER (1710-1781), a prominent lawyer and judge in London, and Elizabeth HUFFAKER (1745-1823), a renowned author and poet who published several widely acclaimed works during her lifetime.
Throughout its history, the HUFFAKER surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including bakers, merchants, lawyers, authors, and landowners. While the name's origins can be traced back to the baking profession, its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Huffaker
Among Census respondents with the surname Huffaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Huffaker 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 Huffaker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 2,297
- Two or more races3.9% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 70
- Black or African American2.5% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Huffaker
Huffaker 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
#11,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,604
+168 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 219 places
2020
#11,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,562
-42 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 295 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,774 | 2,436 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,993 | 2,604 | 0.88 | +168 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 219 places |
| 2020 | #11,698 | 2,562 | 0.86 | -42 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 295 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 Huffaker 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 | #11,993 | #11,698 | 2.5% |
| Count | 2,604 | 2,562 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.86 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Huffaker bearers went from 2,604 to 2,562 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 295 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,993 to #11,698.
FAQ
Huffaker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Huffaker?
Name Census estimates that about 2,938 living Americans carry the surname Huffaker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,662 residents.
How common is Huffaker?
Huffaker ranks #11,698 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,562 people with the surname Huffaker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,938), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Huffaker.
Has Huffaker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Huffaker went from 2,604 recorded bearers to 2,562. That is a decrease of 42 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,993 to #11,698.
What does the Census say about the background of Huffaker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Huffaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Huffaker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (2,297 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Huffaker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Huffaker (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 Huffaker mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold a type of yeast bread. 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 Huffaker (0.86 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 Huffaker?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.