2000
#6,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,592
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.70
Rare Last name
Hileman
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the high or chief cottage" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,010 Americans carry the last name Hileman. That puts it at #7,355 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,414 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hileman 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
5.0K
1 in 68,414
Census rank
#7,355
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,369 bearers of the surname Hileman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7355th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hileman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hileman
The surname HILEMAN is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. The name likely originated from the German word "hilleman," which referred to a "hill dweller" or someone who lived on a hill or elevated land.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various German records and documents from the mid-16th century. One notable example is Johann Hileman, a farmer from the village of Weidenberg in Bavaria, who was mentioned in local tax records in 1562.
As German families began to migrate and settle in different parts of Europe and North America, the name HILEMAN spread across various regions. In the 17th century, the name appeared in several Dutch records, suggesting that some Hileman families had moved to the Netherlands during this period.
One of the earliest known references to the name in North America can be found in the records of the German Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1746, a Johann Hileman and his family were recorded as members of the congregation, having arrived from the Palatinate region of Germany.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname HILEMAN have achieved notable recognition. Martin Hileman (1783-1857), a German-American farmer and politician, served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the early 19th century. Johann Hileman (1822-1897), a German-born artist, is renowned for his intricate woodcarvings and religious sculptures.
In the realm of literature, Henry Hileman (1867-1935), an American writer and poet, gained recognition for his works depicting life in rural Pennsylvania. His collection of poetry, "Songs of the Susquehanna," published in 1906, was widely acclaimed.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Hileman (1901-1976), a German-born architect who emigrated to the United States in the 1920s. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in New York City, including the Bryant Park Hotel and the Waldorf-Astoria.
The surname HILEMAN has also been associated with various place names throughout history. In Germany, the village of Hilmansau in Bavaria likely derived its name from the Hileman family who resided there. Similarly, in the United States, the town of Hilmanville, Pennsylvania, was named after the Hileman family who were among the earliest settlers in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hileman
Among Census respondents with the surname Hileman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hileman 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 Hileman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 4,047
- Two or more races3.8% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 119
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 17
- Black or African American0.3% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hileman
Hileman 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
#6,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,806
+214 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Down 212 places
2020
#7,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,369
-437 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 378 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,765 | 4,592 | 1.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,977 | 4,806 | 1.63 | +214 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 212 places |
| 2020 | #7,355 | 4,369 | 1.46 | -437 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 378 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 Hileman 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 | #6,977 | #7,355 | -5.4% |
| Count | 4,806 | 4,369 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.46 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hileman bearers went from 4,806 to 4,369 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 378 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,977 to #7,355.
FAQ
Hileman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hileman?
Name Census estimates that about 5,010 living Americans carry the surname Hileman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,414 residents.
How common is Hileman?
Hileman ranks #7,355 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 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 4,369 people with the surname Hileman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,010), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 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 Hileman.
Has Hileman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hileman went from 4,806 recorded bearers to 4,369. That is a decrease of 437 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,977 to #7,355.
What does the Census say about the background of Hileman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hileman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Hileman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (4,047 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hileman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Hileman (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 Hileman mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the high or chief cottage" in Old English. 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 Hileman (1.46 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 Hileman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.