2000
#16,635
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,586
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Hayek
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "animated" or "lively".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,117 Americans carry the last name Hayek. That puts it at #15,307 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,906 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hayek 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
2.1K
1 in 161,906
Census rank
#15,307
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,846 bearers of the surname Hayek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15307th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hayek, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hayek
The surname Hayek originates from the Arabic word "hawayik," meaning "small estates" or "little villages." It is believed to have first emerged in the Middle East during the medieval period, particularly in regions that are now part of modern-day Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine.
The earliest known records of the name Hayek can be traced back to the 12th century, appearing in various Arabic manuscripts and historical documents from that era. One notable mention is found in the writings of the renowned Arab historian and geographer, Al-Idrisi, who lived from 1099 to 1165.
In the subsequent centuries, the name Hayek became associated with various prominent figures in the region. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Salim Hayek, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived in Damascus during the 14th century.
As time passed, the Hayek family spread across different parts of the Middle East, with some members settling in areas that are now part of modern-day Turkey. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Ibrahim Hayek gained recognition as a skilled architect and was responsible for the construction of several prominent mosques and public buildings in Istanbul.
During the 19th century, the name Hayek gained further prominence with the birth of Khalil Hayek, a celebrated Lebanese poet and writer who played a significant role in the literary renaissance of the Arabic language. He lived from 1823 to 1888 and is considered one of the most influential figures in modern Arabic literature.
Another notable individual with the surname Hayek was Muhammad Hayek, a Syrian-born artist who lived from 1885 to 1964. He was renowned for his vibrant paintings depicting scenes of everyday life in the Middle East, and his works are displayed in various art galleries and museums around the world.
In more recent times, the Hayek surname has gained international recognition thanks to the Mexican-American actress Salma Hayek, who was born in 1966. She has achieved widespread acclaim for her performances in numerous films and has become a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.
While the origin of the Hayek surname can be traced back to the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name contributing to diverse fields, including literature, art, architecture, and entertainment.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hayek
Among Census respondents with the surname Hayek, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hayek 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 Hayek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 1,669
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 117
- Two or more races2.0% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hayek
Hayek 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
#16,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,788
+202 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 469 places
2020
#15,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,846
+58 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 859 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,635 | 1,586 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,166 | 1,788 | 0.61 | +202 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 469 places |
| 2020 | #15,307 | 1,846 | 0.62 | +58 bearers (+3.2%) | Up 859 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 Hayek 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 | #16,166 | #15,307 | 5.3% |
| Count | 1,788 | 1,846 | 3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.62 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hayek bearers went from 1,788 to 1,846 (+3.2% change). The surname moved up 859 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,166 to #15,307.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hayek
FAQ
Hayek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hayek?
Name Census estimates that about 2,117 living Americans carry the surname Hayek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,906 residents.
How common is Hayek?
Hayek ranks #15,307 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,846 people with the surname Hayek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Hayek.
Has Hayek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hayek went from 1,788 recorded bearers to 1,846. That is an increase of 58 (+3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,166 to #15,307.
What does the Census say about the background of Hayek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hayek, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Hayek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (1,669 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hayek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (6.3%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Hayek (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 Hayek mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "animated" or "lively". 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 Hayek (0.62 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 Hayek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.