2000
#1,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,961
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.66
Uncommon Last name
Hutton
From a place name meaning "ridge frequented by hawks" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,116 Americans carry the last name Hutton. That puts it at #2,015 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,039 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hutton 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 Hutton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,039
Census rank
#2,015
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,542 bearers of the surname Hutton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2015th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hutton, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hutton
The surname Hutton has its origins in northern England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "hoh" meaning a hill or ridge and "tun" meaning a town or settlement. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near or on a hill or ridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hutton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hotun" and "Hoton". This indicates that the name was already well-established in northern England by the late 11th century.
During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Hoton, Houtun, and Howton, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. The modern spelling of Hutton became more standardized by the 16th century.
The Hutton surname is associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Richard Hutton (c. 1325 - 1399), a prominent English judge and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of King Richard II.
Another notable figure was Matthew Hutton (1529 - 1605), an English churchman who served as Archbishop of York from 1595 until his death. He was a key figure in the English Reformation and played a significant role in the translation of the King James Bible.
In the realm of science, James Hutton (1726 - 1797) was a Scottish geologist and naturalist widely regarded as the founder of modern geology. His theory of uniformitarianism, which proposed that the Earth's processes have remained constant over geological time, was a groundbreaking contribution to the field.
The Hutton surname also has literary connections, with the English writer and satirist Henry Hutton (1675 - 1758), known for his works such as "The Younger Brother" and "The Sidrophel Vapulans".
In the world of art, James Hutton (1726 - 1797) was a Scottish painter and etcher, renowned for his portraits and landscapes. His works are held in collections throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
These are just a few examples of the notable individuals who have carried the Hutton surname throughout history, showcasing its rich heritage and diverse contributions across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hutton
Among Census respondents with the surname Hutton, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hutton 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 Hutton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.5% · 14,123
- Black or African American11.0% · 1,934
- Two or more races4.1% · 722
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 548
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 142
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 73
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hutton
Hutton 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
#1,955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,479
+518 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 6.26
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#2,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,542
-937 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 5.87
Rank movement Down 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,836 | 17,961 | 6.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,955 | 18,479 | 6.26 | +518 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #2,015 | 17,542 | 5.87 | -937 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 60 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 Hutton 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 | #1,955 | #2,015 | -3.1% |
| Count | 18,479 | 17,542 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 6.26 | 5.87 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hutton bearers went from 18,479 to 17,542 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,955 to #2,015.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hutton
FAQ
Hutton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hutton?
Name Census estimates that about 20,116 living Americans carry the surname Hutton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,039 residents.
How common is Hutton?
Hutton ranks #2,015 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,542 people with the surname Hutton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Hutton.
Has Hutton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hutton went from 18,479 recorded bearers to 17,542. That is a decrease of 937 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,955 to #2,015.
What does the Census say about the background of Hutton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hutton, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Hutton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.5% (14,123 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hutton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.5%), Black (11.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Hutton (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 Hutton mean?
From a place name meaning "ridge frequented by hawks" 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 Hutton (5.87 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 Hutton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.