Explore the Family Name Hitchner
The meaning of Hitchner
English (West Midlands): possibly an occupational name from an altered form of Middle English hicheler ‘a flax or hemp dresser’, an agent derivative of Middle English hechelen, hichelen) ‘to split and straighten out flax or hemp fibers with a hatchel’. Substitution of n for l is found in other English surnames (such as Cinnamon) and in this case may have been encouraged by familiarity with the river name Itchen in Warwickshire, the county where the surname is earliest recorded. Alternatively, a habitational name from the Sussex placename Itchenor is formally possible, but no evidence for a derived surname has been found in Sussex or neighboring counties. Hitchner is probably a monogenetic surname, recorded as Ichener (1437) in Packwood (Warwickshire), Hychener (1500) in Stratford upon Avon (Warwickshire), Hitchener (1635) in London, and Hichiner (1665) in Colwich (Staffordshire).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hitchner in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Hitchner has maintained a fairly steady popularity throughout the years. In 2000, the name ranked 31,658 in popularity with 690 individuals carrying this surname. This represented a proportion of 0.26 per 100k population. By 2010, the popularity rank had slipped slightly to 31,790 but the count increased to 726, showing a growth of 5.22%. However, the proportion per 100k population dropped by 3.85% to 0.25.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #31,658 | #31,790 | -0.42% |
| Count | 690 | 726 | 5.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.26 | 0.25 | -3.85% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hitchner
The ethnicity breakdown for the surname Hitchner, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, shows that people with this surname primarily identify as White. In 2000, 96.38% identified as White, decreasing slightly to 94.08% by 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew from 0.72% in 2000 to 0.96% in 2010, while the Hispanic ethnicity also saw an increase from 2.17% to 2.89%. Interestingly, there were no individuals with this surname identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native during these years. However, there was a new emergence of individuals identifying as belonging to two or more races at 1.79% in 2010, which was not present in the 2000 census data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.38% | 94.08% | -2.39% |
| Hispanic | 2.17% | 2.89% | 33.18% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.79% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.72% | 0.96% | 33.33% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |