Explore the Family Name Hefter

The meaning of Hefter

1. German: occupational name from Middle High German hefte ‘hilt, handle, clasp’ + -er agent suffix (see Heft), or a habitational name for someone from Heft in Bavaria. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for an embroiderer, from an agent derivative of Yiddish heftn ‘to embroider’. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Arie, Aron, Isidor, Malkiel, Tzvi.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Hefter in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Hefter has seen a slight decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked 38,890th in 2000, it fell to 42,455th place by 2010, marking a decrease of 9.17 percent. The number of individuals bearing this surname also decreased during this period, from 534 in 2000 to 511 by 2010, translating to a reduction of 4.31 percent. Moreover, the proportion of people with the Hefter surname per 100,000 population declined by 15 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#38,890#42,455-9.17%
Count534511-4.31%
Proportion per 100k0.20.17-15%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hefter

Regarding ethnicity, analysis of data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the ethnic identity associated with the surname Hefter is predominantly White, showing an increase from 96.63 percent in 2000 to 97.06 percent in 2010. There was a minimal percentage of Hispanics with this surname, recording a slight dip from 1.87 percent to 1.76 percent within the same period. Interestingly, there were no recorded instances of the Hefter surname among those who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaskan Native, or belonging to two or more races either in 2000 or 2010. Furthermore, the proportion of Black individuals with the Hefter surname dropped from 0.94 percent in 2000 to zero by 2010.

20002010Change
White96.63%97.06%0.44%
Hispanic1.87%1.76%-5.88%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
Black0.94%0%-100%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%