Explore the Family Name Helf
The meaning of Helf
South German: 1. metonymic occupational name for an assistant of some kind, or a nickname for a helpful person, from an agent noun Middle High German helf ‘help, support’. 2. from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name composed with helf-, help- ‘hilt (of a sword)’. Some characteristic forenames: German Klaus, Kurt, Monika.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Helf in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Helf has witnessed a slight shift in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname dropped from 37,374 in 2000 to 38,582 in 2010, indicating a decrease of 3.23%. However, the count or the number of people with the surname Helf increased from 561 in 2000 to 573 in 2010, showing an increase of 2.14%. The proportion of individuals with the surname per 100,000 people experienced a decline of 9.52%, moving from 0.21 in 2000 to 0.19 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #37,374 | #38,582 | -3.23% |
| Count | 561 | 573 | 2.14% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.21 | 0.19 | -9.52% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Helf
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals a few changes between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of those holding the surname Helf identified as White (95.01% in 2000 and 93.89% in 2010), there was a notable increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races categories. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders with the surname Helf jumped by 67.20% from 1.25% in 2000 to 2.09% in 2010, while the category of Two or more races saw a rise of 76.40% from 0.89% to 1.57% over the same period. On the other hand, the percentage of Hispanics declined by 10.28% from 2.14% in 2000 to 1.92% in 2010. There were no individuals identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.01% | 93.89% | -1.18% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.25% | 2.09% | 67.2% |
| Hispanic | 2.14% | 1.92% | -10.28% |
| Two or More Races | 0.89% | 1.57% | 76.4% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |