2010
#101,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Hser
A Burmese surname thought to be a variant spelling of Hsaya, meaning "teacher" or "scholar".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 636 Americans carry the last name Hser. That puts it at #42,112 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 538,922 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hser 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
636
1 in 538,922
Census rank
#42,112
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
555
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 555 bearers of the surname Hser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42112th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hser, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.6%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hser
The surname HSER originates from the northern regions of Germany, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "hausen," which means "to dwell" or "to live." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in a particular area or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HSER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the year 1291. In this document, a person named Hermannus Hser is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
During the 14th century, the surname HSER appeared in various records across northern Germany, including the town of Lübeck, where a merchant named Johann Hser was registered in the city's guild records in 1372.
As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Hser, Huser, and Hüser. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation.
In the 15th century, the surname HSER gained prominence in the city of Hamburg, where a notable figure named Hans Hser (1440-1512) served as a respected merchant and city councilor. His descendants continued to play influential roles in the city's commerce and governance for several generations.
Another notable individual bearing the surname HSER was Katharina Hser (1499-1568), a German mystic and religious writer from the town of Strasbourg. Her writings, which explored themes of spiritual enlightenment and the pursuit of divine knowledge, gained popularity during the Protestant Reformation.
In the 17th century, the HSER surname found its way to the Netherlands, where a Dutch philosopher and mathematician named Christiaan Hser (1629-1695) made significant contributions to the fields of optics and calculus. He is best known for his wave theory of light and his work on the construction of telescopes and microscopes.
As the name spread across Europe, it also reached the British Isles, where a Scottish nobleman named Robert Hser (1718-1792) gained prominence as a landowner and politician. He served as a member of the British Parliament for several years and played a role in the debates surrounding the American Revolution.
Throughout its history, the surname HSER has been associated with various professions, from merchants and artisans to scholars and politicians. While its exact origins may be shrouded in the mists of time, the name has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscapes of various regions across Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hser
Among Census respondents with the surname Hser, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.6%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hser 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 Hser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander98.6% · 547
- White0.9% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hser
Hser appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#42,112
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 555
+378 bearers (+213.6%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 59,625 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #101,737 | 177 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #42,112 | 555 | 0.19 | +378 bearers (+213.6%) | Up 59,625 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 Hser 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 | #101,737 | #42,112 | 58.6% |
| Count | 177 | 555 | 213.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.19 | 209.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hser bearers went from 177 to 555 (+213.6% change). The surname moved up 59,625 positions in the national ranking, going from #101,737 to #42,112.
FAQ
Hser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hser?
Name Census estimates that about 636 living Americans carry the surname Hser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 538,922 residents.
How common is Hser?
Hser ranks #42,112 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 555 people with the surname Hser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Hser.
Has Hser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hser went from 177 recorded bearers to 555. That is an increase of 378 (+213.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #101,737 to #42,112.
What does the Census say about the background of Hser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hser, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.6%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.6% (547 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (98.6%), White (0.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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 Hser (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 Hser mean?
A Burmese surname thought to be a variant spelling of Hsaya, meaning "teacher" or "scholar". 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 Hser (0.19 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 Hser?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.