2000
#103,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Heade
A place name referring to a geographical headland or promontory.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 196 Americans carry the last name Heade. That puts it at #109,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,748,747 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heade 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
196
1 in 1,748,747
Census rank
#109,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
171
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 171 bearers of the surname Heade in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 109993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heade, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Black (43.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heade
The surname HEADE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Yorkshire. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "heafod," meaning "head" or "chief." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who was considered a leader or prominent figure in the community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HEADE can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This indicates that individuals bearing this surname were present in England during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, records show a William HEADE who was a landowner in the village of Welton, near Hull, East Yorkshire. He is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1230, which were financial records maintained by the royal exchequer.
During the 14th century, a notable figure named John HEADE served as the Mayor of York, one of the most important cities in medieval England, in 1367. His tenure as mayor is documented in the city's historical records.
In the 16th century, the surname HEADE appeared in various parish records and official documents, such as those related to land transactions and wills. One example is Thomas HEADE, a wealthy merchant from Beverley, East Yorkshire, who was born in 1520 and is recorded as having bequeathed a significant portion of his estate to charitable causes upon his death in 1592.
Another prominent individual with the surname HEADE was Sir Edmund HEADE, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1605 to 1613 and is renowned for his legal expertise and integrity.
Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, including HEDE, HEED, and HEED. Additionally, the surname HEADE was sometimes associated with certain place names, such as Headon in Nottinghamshire and Hedon in East Yorkshire, suggesting a possible connection between the name and these locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heade
Among Census respondents with the surname Heade, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Black (43.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Heade 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 Heade surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.4% · 81
- Black or African American43.9% · 75
- Two or more races4.1% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heade
Heade 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
#116,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
-12 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 13,636 places
2020
#109,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
+22 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 6,836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #103,193 | 161 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,829 | 149 | 0.05 | -12 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 13,636 places |
| 2020 | #109,993 | 171 | 0.06 | +22 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 6,836 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 Heade 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 | #116,829 | #109,993 | 5.9% |
| Count | 149 | 171 | 14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 14.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heade bearers went from 149 to 171 (+14.8% change). The surname moved up 6,836 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,829 to #109,993.
FAQ
Heade surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heade?
Name Census estimates that about 196 living Americans carry the surname Heade. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,748,747 residents.
How common is Heade?
Heade ranks #109,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 171 people with the surname Heade. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (196), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Heade.
Has Heade become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heade went from 149 recorded bearers to 171. That is an increase of 22 (+14.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #116,829 to #109,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Heade?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heade, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.4%. The next largest groups are Black (43.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Heade in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.4% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heade appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.4%), Black (43.9%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Heade (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 Heade mean?
A place name referring to a geographical headland or promontory. 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 Heade (0.06 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 common is the surname Heade?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Heade on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.