Explore the Family Name Herod
The meaning of Herod
1. English: usually a variant of Herald (Middle English Herald, Heraud, Heroud). Occasionally the name may have been used as a nickname in allusion to the Biblical King Herod, played as a bragging tyrant in medieval mystery plays, or for someone who had an overbearing temper, but evidence to support this possibility is lacking. Herod (Greek Hērōdēs, apparently derived from hērōs ‘hero’) was the name of the king of Judea (died ad 4) who at the time of the birth of Christ ordered that all male children in Bethlehem should be slaughtered (Matthew 2:16–18). 2. American shortened form of Greek Herodiadis, a patronymic from the classical personal name Hērodiōn. This was the name of a relative of Saint Paul and an early Bishop of Patras, venerated in the Orthodox Church. Hērodēs ‘Herod’ is also found in Greek as a nickname for a violent man, but this is less likely to be the source of the surname.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Herod in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Herod" has experienced a modest decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Herod was ranked as the 12,139th most popular name in the U.S., dropping to 12,817th place by 2010. This represents a change of -5.59%. However, the actual number of people with the Herod surname slightly increased from 2,356 in 2000 to 2,406 in 2010, a growth of 2.12%. The proportion of this surname per 100k population also decreased by 5.75% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,139 | #12,817 | -5.59% |
| Count | 2,356 | 2,406 | 2.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.87 | 0.82 | -5.75% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Herod
As far as ethnic identity is concerned, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals several shifts. While the percentage of White individuals with the surname Herod saw a marginal increase from 68.34% in 2000 to 68.70% in 2010, the percentage of Black individuals decreased from 26.10% to 24.69%. The Hispanic population with this surname increased from 2.59% to 2.95%, while those identifying with two or more races grew from 1.95% to 2.37%. Notably, Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities started appearing within the holders of the Herod surname by 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.34% | 68.7% | 0.53% |
| Black | 26.1% | 24.69% | -5.4% |
| Hispanic | 2.59% | 2.95% | 13.9% |
| Two or More Races | 1.95% | 2.37% | 21.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.87% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.42% | 0% |