Explore the Family Name Heister
The meaning of Heister
German and Dutch: topographic name meaning ‘beech tree’ (see Hester 1), or a habitational name from any of several places so named, particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Heister in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Heister has seen a decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Heister ranked 30,443 in terms of frequency and had 724 people carrying this name, roughly 0.27 out of every 100,000 individuals. By 2010, its rank dropped to 37,442 and the count of bearers fell to 595, or about 0.2 per 100,000 people. This represents a decline of approximately 23% in rank and about 18% in count over the ten-year period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #30,443 | #37,442 | -22.99% |
| Count | 724 | 595 | -17.82% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.27 | 0.2 | -25.93% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Heister
Regarding ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the vast majority of people with the Heister surname identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, though there was a slight decline of about 1.45% over these years. The proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander dropped from 0.69% to zero, while those identifying with two or more races rose from none to 2.02%. The percentage of Heisters identifying as Hispanic also increased from 1.52% to 2.02%, marking a growth of approximately 33%. There were no changes reported among those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.69% | 95.29% | -1.45% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 2.02% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 1.52% | 2.02% | 32.89% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.69% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |