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

Hyer, 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 Hyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hyer in America

Hyer is the 10882nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hyer surname appeared 2,929 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 Hyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hyer 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.

The history of the last name Hyer

The surname Hyer is believed to have originated in England, where it first appeared in records during the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hyre," which means "hire" or "rent." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who collected rents or managed properties on behalf of a landowner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, which mention a Richard Hyer. Another early reference is in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1461, where a John Hyer is listed as a tenant farmer.

The Hyer surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Hyer Booth and Hyer Side, both located in Lancashire. These place names likely derive from the same Old English root as the surname and may have been named after early Hyer families who lived in those areas.

One notable bearer of the Hyer surname was William Hyer (c. 1470-1535), a English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He was known for his extensive trade dealings with the Netherlands and his involvement in the export of English wool.

Another historically significant Hyer was Sir Thomas Hyer (1605-1679), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Charles II. He played a role in the Restoration of the monarchy and was rewarded with a knighthood for his loyalty to the crown.

In the 17th century, the Hyer surname also appeared in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in North America. One of the earliest immigrants with this name was Thomas Hyer, who arrived in Boston in 1635 and later settled in Salem, where he became a prominent merchant and landowner.

The name continued to spread throughout the American colonies, with notable Hyers including John Hyer (1721-1784), a soldier and surveyor who fought in the French and Indian War, and Abraham Hyer (1768-1844), a farmer and Revolutionary War veteran from New Jersey.

As the surname Hyer spread across England and later to North America, various spelling variations emerged, such as Hier, Hyre, and Hire. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its Old English heritage, reflecting its ties to the management and rental of land and properties.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hyer

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

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 Hyer was:

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

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

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

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