2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hernes
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hare corner" or "hare nook".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Hernes. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hernes 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Hernes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hernes, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hernes
The surname HERNES has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hyrne," which means "horn" or "corner," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived on a corner or at the end of a street.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HERNES surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1191, which mention a person named William Hernes. This suggests that the name was already established in certain areas of England by the late 12th century.
During the 13th century, the HERNES surname appears in various records from Norfolk and Suffolk, indicating that it had spread to different parts of East Anglia. In 1273, a certain Robert Hernes is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, further solidifying the presence of the name in that region.
In the 14th century, the HERNES surname can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Hernes is recorded in 1317. This suggests that the name had also gained a foothold in northern England by that time.
One notable early bearer of the HERNES surname was Sir John Hernes, a prominent English lawyer and judge who lived from approximately 1380 to 1446. He served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1436 until his death.
Another significant figure was Thomas Hernes, born in 1555 in Shropshire, England. He was a renowned Puritan minister and author who played a role in the religious turmoil of the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the realm of literature, the HERNES surname is associated with John Hernes, an English poet and playwright who lived from 1628 to 1692. He is best known for his satirical work "The Mirrour of Mirrours," published in 1688.
Moving forward to the 18th century, we find William Hernes, born in 1712 in Oxfordshire. He was a notable architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in the county.
Lastly, a more recent historical figure with the HERNES surname is Edward Hernes, born in 1852 in Lancashire. He was a renowned engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of early aviation technology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hernes
Among Census respondents with the surname Hernes, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hernes 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 Hernes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 89
- Black or African American11.3% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hernes
Hernes 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-23 bearers (-17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 30,455 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-17.8%) | Down 30,455 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 1,430 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 Hernes 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 | #153,769 | #152,339 | 0.9% |
| Count | 106 | 106 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hernes bearers went from 106 to 106 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 1,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #152,339.
FAQ
Hernes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hernes?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Hernes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Hernes?
Hernes ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Hernes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Hernes.
Has Hernes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hernes went from 106 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Hernes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hernes, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Hernes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hernes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Black (11.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Hernes (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 Hernes mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hare corner" or "hare nook". 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 Hernes (0.04 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 Hernes?
Want to know how many people are called Hernes? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.