2000
#19,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,252
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Hickle
An English occupational surname derived from "heckler", referring to one who separated fibers from woody stems.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,409 Americans carry the last name Hickle. That puts it at #21,643 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 243,261 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hickle 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
1.4K
1 in 243,261
Census rank
#21,643
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,229 bearers of the surname Hickle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21643rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hickle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hickle
The surname Hickle has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "hicce," which means "hitch" or "hook." This suggests that the name may have been occupational in nature, referring to someone who made hooks or hitches.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Hickle surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a person named Roger Hickel is listed as residing in Oxfordshire. The spelling variations during this time included Hickel, Hicele, and Hyckle.
In the 14th century, the Hickle name appeared in various manorial records and tax rolls across England. For instance, a John Hykell is documented in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, while a William Hikkel is mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1380.
The surname Hickle also has connections to certain place names in England. In the 16th century, there were references to Hickle Hill in Hampshire and Hickle Farm in Gloucestershire. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the Hickle surname or could have influenced the name's evolution.
Notable individuals with the Hickle surname throughout history include:
1. Thomas Hickle (c. 1560 - 1629), an English merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.
2. Elizabeth Hickle (c. 1590 - 1655), a landowner and philanthropist from Wiltshire, known for her charitable contributions to the local community.
3. John Hickle (c. 1620 - 1687), a renowned clockmaker from London, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy.
4. Samuel Hickle (1685 - 1754), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts and sermons.
5. Mary Hickle (1745 - 1823), a notable botanist and gardener from Warwickshire, known for her extensive collection of rare plant specimens.
While the Hickle surname may not be as common today as it once was, its historical roots and connections to various occupations, places, and individuals provide a fascinating glimpse into the rich tapestry of English surnames and their evolution over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hickle
Among Census respondents with the surname Hickle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hickle 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 Hickle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 1,123
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 44
- Two or more races3.4% · 42
- Black or African American0.7% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hickle
Hickle 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
#18,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,450
+198 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.49
Rank movement Up 1,007 places
2020
#21,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,229
-221 bearers (-15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Down 2,785 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,865 | 1,252 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,858 | 1,450 | 0.49 | +198 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 1,007 places |
| 2020 | #21,643 | 1,229 | 0.41 | -221 bearers (-15.2%) | Down 2,785 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 Hickle 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 | #18,858 | #21,643 | -14.8% |
| Count | 1,450 | 1,229 | -15.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.49 | 0.41 | -16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hickle bearers went from 1,450 to 1,229 (-15.2% change). The surname moved down 2,785 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,858 to #21,643.
FAQ
Hickle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hickle?
Name Census estimates that about 1,409 living Americans carry the surname Hickle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 243,261 residents.
How common is Hickle?
Hickle ranks #21,643 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.41 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 1,229 people with the surname Hickle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,409), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.41 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 Hickle.
Has Hickle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hickle went from 1,450 recorded bearers to 1,229. That is a decrease of 221 (-15.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,858 to #21,643.
What does the Census say about the background of Hickle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hickle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Hickle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (1,123 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hickle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Hickle (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 Hickle mean?
An English occupational surname derived from "heckler", referring to one who separated fibers from woody stems. 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 Hickle (0.41 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 share the surname Hickle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.