2000
#7,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Huth
Derived from the Middle High German word "huot," meaning "protection" or "guard," likely referring to a guardian or watchman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,337 Americans carry the last name Huth. That puts it at #8,383 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,030 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Huth 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 Huth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,030
Census rank
#8,383
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,782 bearers of the surname Huth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8383rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Huth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Huth
The surname Huth has its origins in Germany, where it emerged during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old German word "huth," which means "guard" or "watchman." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals employed as guards or sentries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Huth name can be found in the town of Saxony, where a family bearing this surname was documented in the 13th century. The name is believed to have spread from this region to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries.
In the 14th century, records mention a nobleman named Konrad Huth, who served as a knight in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor. This suggests that by this time, the Huth family had gained prominence and status within German society.
During the 16th century, the Huth surname was well-established in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Huth (1492-1571), a prominent Lutheran theologian and reformer, and Hans Huth (1532-1599), a renowned painter and engraver from Nuremberg.
As the centuries passed, members of the Huth family continued to make their mark in various fields. In the 18th century, Johann Christian Huth (1717-1788) was a respected composer and organist in Leipzig. Later, in the 19th century, Friedrich Huth (1844-1918) was a prominent German industrialist and philanthropist, known for his contributions to the steel industry and his support of educational initiatives.
Another notable figure was Theodor Huth (1868-1945), a German explorer and ethnographer who conducted extensive research on the indigenous cultures of South America. His work contributed significantly to the understanding of these communities and their traditions.
In the realm of literature, the Huth surname is associated with Henry Huth (1815-1878), a British book collector and bibliophile. His extensive collection of rare and valuable books, known as the Huth Library, was eventually acquired by the British Museum.
While the Huth surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in various countries, carrying on the legacy of their ancestors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Huth
Among Census respondents with the surname Huth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Huth 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 Huth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 3,487
- Two or more races3.0% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 54
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Huth
Huth 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
#8,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,013
-125 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 828 places
2020
#8,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,782
-231 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,426 | 4,138 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,254 | 4,013 | 1.36 | -125 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 828 places |
| 2020 | #8,383 | 3,782 | 1.27 | -231 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 129 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 Huth 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 | #8,254 | #8,383 | -1.6% |
| Count | 4,013 | 3,782 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.27 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Huth bearers went from 4,013 to 3,782 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,254 to #8,383.
FAQ
Huth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Huth?
Name Census estimates that about 4,337 living Americans carry the surname Huth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,030 residents.
How common is Huth?
Huth ranks #8,383 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,782 people with the surname Huth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Huth.
Has Huth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Huth went from 4,013 recorded bearers to 3,782. That is a decrease of 231 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,254 to #8,383.
What does the Census say about the background of Huth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Huth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) 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 Huth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (3,487 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Huth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.0%), 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 Huth (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 Huth mean?
Derived from the Middle High German word "huot," meaning "protection" or "guard," likely referring to a guardian or watchman. 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 Huth (1.27 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 last name Huth?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Huth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.