2000
#11,701
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,456
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Hillyer
One who lives on or near a hill or dwells in a hilly area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,783 Americans carry the last name Hillyer. That puts it at #12,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,160 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hillyer 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 Hillyer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,160
Census rank
#12,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,427 bearers of the surname Hillyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hillyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hillyer
The surname Hillyer is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hyll" meaning hill and "hyrde" meaning herdsman or keeper. It was initially an occupational surname given to those who tended livestock on the hillsides or lived in elevated areas. The name is believed to have emerged in the 11th century, around the time of the Norman Conquest of England.
One of the earliest known recordings of the Hillyer name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Hildierd" and "Hildier." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings throughout England.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including "Hillyerde," "Hilliard," and "Hillyard." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. During this period, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hertfordshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hillyer surname is that of William Hillyer, a landowner from Oxfordshire, who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Hillyer, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was mentioned in historical records from the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the name took on its more modern spelling of "Hillyer." During this time, the surname was associated with several prominent individuals, including John Hillyer, a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral from 1561 to 1570.
The 17th century saw the rise of another notable Hillyer, Reverend Robert Hillyer, an English clergyman and author born in 1607. He is best known for his work "The Heavenly Arcadian," a collection of sermons published in 1668.
In the 19th century, the Hillyer name gained further recognition with the poet and critic Edmund Hillyer (1801-1872). He was a respected figure in literary circles and contributed to various publications, including the Quarterly Review and the Edinburgh Review.
Another notable figure from this era was Shaler Hillyer (1834-1919), an American lawyer and politician who served as the Assistant Secretary of State under President Ulysses S. Grant. He played a significant role in the resolution of the Alabama Claims dispute with Great Britain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hillyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Hillyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hillyer 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 Hillyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 2,078
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 117
- Two or more races4.4% · 106
- Black or African American3.3% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hillyer
Hillyer 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
#11,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,676
+220 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 13 places
2020
#12,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,427
-249 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 525 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,701 | 2,456 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,714 | 2,676 | 0.91 | +220 bearers (+9.0%) | Down 13 places |
| 2020 | #12,239 | 2,427 | 0.81 | -249 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 525 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 Hillyer 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 | #11,714 | #12,239 | -4.5% |
| Count | 2,676 | 2,427 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.81 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hillyer bearers went from 2,676 to 2,427 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 525 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,714 to #12,239.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hillyer
FAQ
Hillyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hillyer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,783 living Americans carry the surname Hillyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,160 residents.
How common is Hillyer?
Hillyer ranks #12,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,427 people with the surname Hillyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,783), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Hillyer.
Has Hillyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hillyer went from 2,676 recorded bearers to 2,427. That is a decrease of 249 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,714 to #12,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Hillyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hillyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Hillyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (2,078 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hillyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Hillyer (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 Hillyer mean?
One who lives on or near a hill or dwells in a hilly area. 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 Hillyer (0.81 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 Hillyer?
Want to know how many people have the last name Hillyer? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.