2000
#919
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,675
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.85
Uncommon Last name
Hester
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word for a maker or seller of hoods or caps.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 38,465 Americans carry the last name Hester. That puts it at #1,025 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,911 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hester 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 Hester with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
38K
1 in 8,911
Census rank
#1,025
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
34K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,543 bearers of the surname Hester in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1025th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hester, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hester
The surname Hester has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "oistre," meaning "oyster," which in turn comes from the Latin word "ostrea." This connection suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in the oyster trade or resided near areas renowned for oyster cultivation.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are entries for individuals with the surname Hostremunt and Hosatus, which are believed to be early variations of Hester. These entries indicate that the name had already taken root in England by the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hester can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1194, where a person named Osbert Hoster is mentioned. This spelling variation further reinforces the connection to the Old French word "oistre."
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as Hostere, Hostare, and Hostere, reflecting the evolution of its spelling over time. Notably, in 1273, a certain William Hostere is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, suggesting the presence of the name in that region.
Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Hester throughout history, we can mention:
1. Sir Richard Hester (c. 1510 - c. 1570), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
2. John Hester (c. 1600 - c. 1670), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s and served as a pastor in several towns.
3. Phoebe Hester (c. 1640 - c. 1720), an English Quaker preacher and writer who traveled extensively throughout Great Britain and the American colonies, promoting her religious beliefs.
4. Thomas Hester (1731 - 1796), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of Vice Admiral.
5. Harriet Hester (1834 - 1913), an American educator and activist who founded several schools for African American children in the post-Civil War era and advocated for equal educational opportunities.
It is worth noting that the surname Hester has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Hester's Way in Hampshire and Hester Farm in Gloucestershire, further solidifying its historical roots in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hester
Among Census respondents with the surname Hester, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hester 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 Hester surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.8% · 23,411
- Black or African American21.8% · 7,325
- Two or more races4.5% · 1,520
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 935
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 211
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 141
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hester
Hester 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
#976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,642
+967 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 12.08
Rank movement Down 57 places
2020
#1,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,543
-2,099 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 11.22
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #919 | 34,675 | 12.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #976 | 35,642 | 12.08 | +967 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 57 places |
| 2020 | #1,025 | 33,543 | 11.22 | -2,099 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 49 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 Hester 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 | #976 | #1,025 | -5.0% |
| Count | 35,642 | 33,543 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 12.08 | 11.22 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hester bearers went from 35,642 to 33,543 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #976 to #1,025.
FAQ
Hester surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hester?
Name Census estimates that about 38,465 living Americans carry the surname Hester. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,911 residents.
How common is Hester?
Hester ranks #1,025 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,543 people with the surname Hester. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (38,465), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Hester.
Has Hester become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hester went from 35,642 recorded bearers to 33,543. That is a decrease of 2,099 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #976 to #1,025.
What does the Census say about the background of Hester?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hester, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Hester in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.8% (23,411 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hester appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.8%), Black (21.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Hester (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 Hester mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word for a maker or seller of hoods or caps. 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 Hester (11.22 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 Hester?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Hester at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.