Explore the Family Name Hering
The meaning of Hering
1. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German hærinc ‘herring’, German Hering, a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman, particularly a seller of herrings, or a nickname for someone supposedly resembling a herring. In some cases the Jewish surname is artificial. In North America, this surname is also an altered form of the German and Jewish variant Häring. Compare Haring. 2. German and Dutch: habitational name from any of several places and farmhouses so named, for instance near Zeesse in Overijssel, originally inhabited by a certain Here or Hero and his kin. Here or Hero is a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name with the element heri ‘army’. 3. English (London): variant of Herring. Some characteristic forenames: German Hasso, Alfons, Alois, Arno, Ernst, Erwin, Florian, Gerhard, Guenther, Kurt, Ludwig, Manfred.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hering in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Hering" has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In terms of rank, it fell from 9625 to 9701, marking a decrease of 0.79%. However, the count or the number of people with the Hering surname increased by 7.87%, going from 3100 in 2000 to 3344 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also showed a minor decrease of 1.74% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,625 | #9,701 | -0.79% |
| Count | 3,100 | 3,344 | 7.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.15 | 1.13 | -1.74% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hering
When turning attention to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts within the Hering surname bearers. There was a small rise among individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, growing by 3.57% from 2000 to 2010. Interestingly, there was no data for those identifying as having two or more races in 2000, but this figure rose to 1.05% in 2010. A majority still identify as White, though the percentage dropped slightly from 95.87% to 93.69%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic and Black communities saw an increase in the use of the Hering surname, with rises of 57.43% and 49.14% respectively. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category also appeared in 2010, with 0.33% identifying as such.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.87% | 93.69% | -2.27% |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 2.33% | 57.43% |
| Black | 1.16% | 1.73% | 49.14% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.05% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.84% | 0.87% | 3.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.33% | 0% |