diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index aae423b65cc3..dfa0ab608aaf 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -6780,8 +6780,8 @@ def hist(self, x, bins=None, range=None, density=None, weights=None,
             return tops, bins, cbook.silent_list('Lists of Patches', patches)
 
     @_preprocess_data(replace_names=["x", "y", "weights"], label_namer=None)
-    def hist2d(self, x, y, bins=10, range=None, normed=False, weights=None,
-               cmin=None, cmax=None, **kwargs):
+    def hist2d(self, x, y, bins=10, range=None, density=None, weights=None,
+               cmin=None, cmax=None, normed=None, **kwargs):
         """
         Make a 2D histogram plot.
 
@@ -6814,8 +6814,14 @@ def hist2d(self, x, y, bins=10, range=None, normed=False, weights=None,
              xmax], [ymin, ymax]]``. All values outside of this range will be
              considered outliers and not tallied in the histogram.
 
-        normed : bool, optional, default: False
-             Normalize histogram.
+        density : boolean, optional
+             If False, the default, plots and returns the number of samples
+             in each bin. If True, returns the probability *density*
+             function at the bin, ``bin_count / sample_count / bin_area``.
+             Default is ``None`` for both *normed* and *density*. If either is
+             set, then that value will be used. If neither are set, then the
+             args will be treated as ``False``.
+             If both *density* and *normed* are set an error is raised.
 
         weights : array_like, shape (n, ), optional, default: None
             An array of values w_i weighing each sample (x_i, y_i).
@@ -6830,6 +6836,12 @@ def hist2d(self, x, y, bins=10, range=None, normed=False, weights=None,
              to none before passing to imshow) and these count values in the
              return value count histogram will also be set to nan upon return
 
+        normed : bool, optional, default: None
+             Deprecated; use the density keyword argument instead.
+             Numpy 1.15 introduced a 'density' kwarg to ``hist2d``. Even though
+             Numpy 1.15 isn't required, 'density' kwarg is introduced
+             and passed as 'normed' to ``hist2d``.
+
         Returns
         -------
         h : 2D array
@@ -6873,8 +6885,17 @@ def hist2d(self, x, y, bins=10, range=None, normed=False, weights=None,
           `.colors.PowerNorm`.
         """
 
+        if density is not None and normed is not None:
+            raise ValueError("kwargs 'density' and 'normed' cannot be used "
+                             "simultaneously. Please only use 'density', "
+                             "since 'normed' is deprecated.")
+        if normed is not None:
+            cbook.warn_deprecated("3.1", name="'normed'", obj_type="kwarg",
+                                  alternative="'density")
+
+        density = bool(density) or bool(normed)
         h, xedges, yedges = np.histogram2d(x, y, bins=bins, range=range,
-                                           normed=normed, weights=weights)
+                                           normed=density, weights=weights)
 
         if cmin is not None:
             h[h < cmin] = None
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
index 6ceced49285c..f017ed540cd3 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -2640,12 +2640,12 @@ def hist(
 # Autogenerated by boilerplate.py.  Do not edit as changes will be lost.
 @_autogen_docstring(Axes.hist2d)
 def hist2d(
-        x, y, bins=10, range=None, normed=False, weights=None,
-        cmin=None, cmax=None, *, data=None, **kwargs):
+        x, y, bins=10, range=None, density=None, weights=None,
+        cmin=None, cmax=None, normed=None, *, data=None, **kwargs):
     __ret = gca().hist2d(
-        x, y, bins=bins, range=range, normed=normed, weights=weights,
-        cmin=cmin, cmax=cmax, **({"data": data} if data is not None
-        else {}), **kwargs)
+        x, y, bins=bins, range=range, density=density,
+        weights=weights, cmin=cmin, cmax=cmax, normed=normed,
+        **({"data": data} if data is not None else {}), **kwargs)
     sci(__ret[-1])
     return __ret
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
index b4879e3b208a..35d52fb3a94f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -1672,6 +1672,30 @@ def test_hist2d():
     ax.hist2d("x", "y", bins=10, data=data, rasterized=True)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('density', [False, True])
+def test_hist2d_density(density):
+    # Test density kwarg
+    x = np.random.randn(100)*2+5
+    y = np.random.randn(100)-2
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(111)
+    ax.hist2d(x, y, bins=10, rasterized=True, density=density)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('normed', [False, True])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('density', [False, True])
+def test_hist2d_normed_density(density, normed):
+    # Normed and density should not be used simultaneously
+    x = np.random.randn(100)*2+5
+    y = np.random.randn(100)-2
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(111)
+    # test that kwargs normed and density cannot be set both.
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="kwargs 'density' and 'normed'"):
+        ax.hist2d(x, y, bins=10, rasterized=True,
+                  density=density, normed=normed)
+
+
 @image_comparison(baseline_images=['hist2d_transpose'],
         remove_text=True, style='mpl20')
 def test_hist2d_transpose():