Explore the Family Name Hey
The meaning of Hey
1. English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): variant of Hay. 2. Dutch: variant, mostly Americanized (or archaic) and Flemish, of Heij, a topographic name for someone who lived on a heath, Dutch hei, heide. 3. German: metonymic occupational name for a grower or mower of grass, from Middle High German höu ‘grass, hay’. 4. North German, East Frisian, and Dutch: from an ancient Germanic personal name formed with hag ‘fence, enclosure’ as the first element. 5. South German: occupational name from Middle High German heie ‘ranger, warden, guard’ or a topographic name from Middle High German haie ‘protected wood’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hey in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Hey has experienced a decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Hey was ranked 14,033 amongst all surnames, but it slipped to 15,508 by 2010, representing a drop of around 10.51%. The count of people with this surname also decreased during this decade, from 1,971 to 1,887, showing a fall of 4.26%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Hey per 100k individuals in the population decreased by 12.33%, from 0.73 to 0.64.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,033 | #15,508 | -10.51% |
| Count | 1,971 | 1,887 | -4.26% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.73 | 0.64 | -12.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hey
When analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Hey, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates a shift over the decade from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased substantially from 5.28% to 8.48%, a growth of 60.61%. Alongside this, there were slight increases in people identifying with two or more races, and those of Hispanic ethnicity, by 11.11% and 4.62% respectively. Conversely, representation within the White and Black communities decreased by 3.04% and 31.91% respectively. It is also worth noting that identification with American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity more than doubled, albeit from a small base, increasing from 0.51% to 1.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.54% | 82.94% | -3.04% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 5.28% | 8.48% | 60.61% |
| Black | 4.67% | 3.18% | -31.91% |
| Hispanic | 2.38% | 2.49% | 4.62% |
| Two or More Races | 1.62% | 1.8% | 11.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.51% | 1.11% | 117.65% |