2000
#41
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 411,770
First available Census row
Per 100,000 152.64
Common Last name
Hill
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 480,565 Americans carry the last name Hill. That puts it at #41 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 140.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 713 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hill 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 Hill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
481K
1 in 713
Census rank
#41
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
140.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
419K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 419,076 bearers of the surname Hill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 140.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 41st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hill, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hill
The surname Hill has its origins in England and can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era. The name is derived from the Old English word "hyll," which referred to a hill or a raised piece of land. It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who lived near a prominent hill or on higher ground.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hill surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Hill, indicating that the name was already in use during the Norman conquest of England.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Hill surname continued to be prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in areas with hilly terrain or settlements situated on elevated ground. Notable examples include the Hill family of Spaxton in Somerset, whose ancestry can be traced back to the 13th century, and the Hills of Shropshire, who were prominent landowners in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Hill surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Roger Hill (c. 1235–1305), an English judge and clergyman who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of King Edward I.
Another prominent figure was Rowland Hill (1744-1833), an English teacher and social reformer, known for his efforts in establishing a low-cost, uniform postal system in Britain. Hill's innovative ideas led to the introduction of the Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postage stamp, in 1840.
The Hill surname has also been associated with literary figures, such as Geoffrey Hill (1932-2016), an English poet and professor of literature who won numerous accolades, including the Wilfred Owen Memorial Prize and the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism.
In the realm of sports, Damon Hill (born 1960) is a notable figure, having won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1996 and achieving several other victories throughout his racing career.
While the Hill surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. Over time, variations in spelling, such as Hills, Hilles, and Hyll, have emerged, reflecting regional dialects and language changes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hill
Among Census respondents with the surname Hill, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hill 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 Hill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.0% · 259,686
- Black or African American28.1% · 117,840
- Two or more races4.8% · 20,188
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 14,886
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 3,696
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2,780
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hill
Hill 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
#39
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 434,827
+23,057 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 147.41
Rank movement Up 2 places
2020
#41
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 419,076
-15,751 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 140.21
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #41 | 411,770 | 152.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39 | 434,827 | 147.41 | +23,057 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 2 places |
| 2020 | #41 | 419,076 | 140.21 | -15,751 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 2 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 Hill 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 | #39 | #41 | -5.1% |
| Count | 434,827 | 419,076 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 147.41 | 140.21 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hill bearers went from 434,827 to 419,076 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #39 to #41.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hill
FAQ
Hill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hill?
Name Census estimates that about 480,565 living Americans carry the surname Hill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 713 residents.
How common is Hill?
Hill ranks #41 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 140.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 140 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 419,076 people with the surname Hill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (480,565), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 140.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 140.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 140 of them to have the surname Hill.
Has Hill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hill went from 434,827 recorded bearers to 419,076. That is a decrease of 15,751 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #39 to #41.
What does the Census say about the background of Hill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hill, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Hill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.0% (259,686 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.0%), Black (28.1%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Hill (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 Hill mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill. 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 Hill (140.21 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 are called Hill?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Hill on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.