Hovik
An Armenian masculine name derived from the word "Hoh", meaning "spirit".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Hovik. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hovik today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hovik births was 2010 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hovik. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hovik. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2010
7 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2010 SSA rank
#10,064
Tracked since 2007
Census
Hovik in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 335 people with the first name Hovik, which placed it at #27,353 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#27,353
National first-name rank
People counted
335
335 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
95.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hovik
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Hovik is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Hovik described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Hovik at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.8% · 321
- Two or more races2.4% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 3
- Black or African American0.6% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Popularity
Hovik: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hovik from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 7 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
Hovik 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 Hovik during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hoviks live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hovik
The name Hovik originates from the Armenian language and culture, with its roots dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Armenian word "hov," which means "wind" or "breeze." The name is a representation of the Armenian people's close connection with nature and their reverence for the elements.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hovik can be found in the Armenian epic poem "Daredevils of Sassoun," which dates back to the 8th century AD. In this literary work, Hovik is depicted as a heroic figure, known for his bravery and strength. This association with heroism and valor has contributed to the name's enduring popularity among Armenians throughout the centuries.
In the 12th century, a prominent Armenian prince named Hovik Vakhraduni played a significant role in defending the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia against the invading Seljuk Turks. His legacy as a skilled military leader and defender of Armenian sovereignty has further solidified the name's historical importance.
Among the notable individuals who bore the name Hovik in more recent times is Hovik Musheghian (1913-1966), an acclaimed Armenian artist renowned for his evocative landscapes and depictions of Armenian rural life. His works are celebrated for capturing the essence of the Armenian people and their rich cultural heritage.
Another prominent figure was Hovik Abrahamyan (1900-1983), an Armenian writer and poet whose works explored themes of national identity, social justice, and the human condition. His poems and literary works have left an indelible mark on Armenian literature and continue to resonate with readers today.
Hovik Avanian (1932-1994) was an influential Armenian composer and conductor, known for his contributions to the development of Armenian classical music. His compositions, which often drew inspiration from Armenian folklore and traditional melodies, have been performed by renowned orchestras and ensembles around the world.
Throughout history, the name Hovik has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to Armenian culture, art, literature, and national identity. Its deep roots in Armenian heritage and its connections to heroism, strength, and a reverence for nature have solidified its enduring popularity among Armenians across generations.
People
Hovik + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hovik 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
Hovik: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hovik?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hovik 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Hovik a common name?
We classify Hovik as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hovik most popular?
The single biggest year for Hovik was 2010, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hovik is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Hovik in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 335 people with the name Hovik, or 0.11 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #27,353 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Hovik in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Hovik?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Hovik appears almost entirely male. Of the 327 people counted with this name, 99.4% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Hovik?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Hovik is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Hovik most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Hovik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (321 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Hovik in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hovik a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hovik 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 Hovik still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hovik 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 Hovik 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.
How many people have Hovik as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Hovik on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.