2000
#7,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,153
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Highsmith
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a high peak or mountain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,755 Americans carry the last name Highsmith. That puts it at #7,696 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Highsmith 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
4.8K
1 in 72,083
Census rank
#7,696
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,147 bearers of the surname Highsmith in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7696th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Highsmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Highsmith
The surname Highsmith is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "heh" meaning high and "smi" meaning smith, referring to a blacksmith or metalworker who lived or worked on higher ground or a hill.
The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Heismithe" and "Heghesmythe", indicating its early presence in various parts of England. Over the centuries, the spelling evolved into Highsmith, Hysmyth, and other variations.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Highsmith, a landowner and farmer from Leicestershire, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1200. In the 14th century, records show a Robert Highsmith serving as a bailiff in the city of York.
Notable historical figures with the surname Highsmith include Sir Thomas Highsmith (1565-1631), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of King James I. Another prominent figure was Reverend William Highsmith (1687-1754), a renowned Anglican clergyman and author of several religious texts.
In the 18th century, the Highsmith family had a presence in the American colonies, with records indicating that John Highsmith (1725-1789) was a farmer and landowner in Virginia. His son, Samuel Highsmith (1760-1835), served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War.
During the 19th century, the surname gained further recognition with individuals like Charles Highsmith (1810-1892), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia, and Captain James Highsmith (1835-1910), a decorated officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
The Highsmith name has been associated with various places and locations throughout history, such as Highsmith Hill in Derbyshire, England, and Highsmith County in Virginia, USA, both named after members of the Highsmith family who were prominent landowners in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Highsmith
Among Census respondents with the surname Highsmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Highsmith 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 Highsmith surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.5% · 2,179
- Black or African American38.4% · 1,592
- Two or more races5.0% · 206
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 117
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Highsmith
Highsmith 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
#7,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,299
+146 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 322 places
2020
#7,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,147
-152 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,399 | 4,153 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,721 | 4,299 | 1.46 | +146 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 322 places |
| 2020 | #7,696 | 4,147 | 1.39 | -152 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 25 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 Highsmith 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 | #7,721 | #7,696 | 0.3% |
| Count | 4,299 | 4,147 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.39 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Highsmith bearers went from 4,299 to 4,147 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,721 to #7,696.
FAQ
Highsmith surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Highsmith?
Name Census estimates that about 4,755 living Americans carry the surname Highsmith. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,083 residents.
How common is Highsmith?
Highsmith ranks #7,696 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 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 4,147 people with the surname Highsmith. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,755), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 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 Highsmith.
Has Highsmith become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Highsmith went from 4,299 recorded bearers to 4,147. That is a decrease of 152 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,721 to #7,696.
What does the Census say about the background of Highsmith?
Among Census respondents with the surname Highsmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Highsmith in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.5% (2,179 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Highsmith appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.5%), Black (38.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Highsmith (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 Highsmith mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a high peak or mountain. 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 Highsmith (1.39 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 Highsmith?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Highsmith on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.