Hoarce
Of uncertain origin, potentially derived from the English word "hoarse", suggesting a rough or raspy voice.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Hoarce. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hoarce today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hoarce births was 1924 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hoarce. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Hoarce is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Hoarces were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hoarce. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1924
6 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1947 SSA rank
#3,520
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Hoarce: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hoarce from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 12 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hoarce by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hoarce during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hoarce
The name Hoarce has its origins in the ancient Germanic language family, with roots dating back to the 5th century AD. The name is believed to be derived from the Proto-Germanic word "hauriza," which means "to listen" or "to heed." This suggests that the name may have been associated with qualities such as attentiveness and obedience in its early usage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hoarce can be found in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century manuscript containing a translation of the Bible into the Gothic language. In this text, the name appears as "Haurica," likely referring to a person or character mentioned within its pages.
During the Middle Ages, the name Hoarce gained prominence in various Germanic regions, particularly in what is now modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. Historical records from this period indicate that several individuals bore this name, including Hoarce von Tübingen, a notable German knight who lived in the 12th century.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Horice," "Hauritz," and "Hauritz." One notable figure from this time was Hoarce de Montfort, a French nobleman and crusader who participated in the Fourth Crusade in the early 13th century.
In the 16th century, the name Hoarce found its way to England, where it was adopted by a few families. One prominent individual was Hoarce Walpole, an English writer and art historian born in 1717. His works, including the novel "The Castle of Otranto," played a significant role in the development of the Gothic fiction genre.
Another historical figure bearing the name Hoarce was Hoarce Greeley, an American journalist and politician who lived from 1811 to 1872. He is best known for his influential career as the editor of the New York Tribune and his unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1872.
Throughout history, the name Hoarce has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including writers, politicians, religious figures, and military leaders. While its usage has been relatively uncommon in recent times, the name continues to hold a rich heritage and historical significance, particularly in regions with Germanic cultural roots.
People
Hoarce + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hoarce as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hoarce: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hoarce?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hoarce going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Hoarce a common name?
We classify Hoarce as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 29 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hoarce most popular?
The single biggest year for Hoarce was 1924, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hoarce is about 83 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hoarce in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hoarce a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hoarce in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hoarce still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hoarce in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hoarce can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Hoarce?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.