Find out how popular the last name Hacker is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hacker.

Hacker, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hacker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hacker in America

Hacker is the 2642nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hacker surname appeared 13,625 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Hacker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hacker to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hacker

The surname Hacker has its roots in the German language, originating in Germany during the medieval period. The name is derived from the German word "Hacker," which referred to a person who worked with a hoe or mattock, a tool used for digging and breaking up soil. This occupation-based surname suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely farmers or agricultural workers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hacker can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfaliarum, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century, where a certain "Wernherus Hacker" is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already in use during this time period, particularly in the Westphalia region of Germany.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records from different parts of Germany, such as the Urkundenbuch des Klosters Eberbach, where a "Heinricus Hacker" is mentioned in 1271, and the Urkundenbuch des Klosters Arnsburg, which references a "Cunradus Hacker" in 1292.

The surname Hacker has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Hackenheim and Hackenberg, which may have influenced the spelling or pronunciation of the name in certain regions.

One notable bearer of the surname Hacker was Johann Hacker (1664-1738), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg. Another prominent figure was Christian Hacker (1714-1782), a German theologian and writer who authored several works on religion and philosophy.

In the 19th century, Johann Nepomuk Hacker (1813-1891) was a German Catholic theologian and writer who served as the Bishop of Bamberg from 1884 until his death. Georg Hacker (1835-1923) was a German Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively on the history of the Catholic Church in Germany.

The surname Hacker also found its way to other parts of Europe, including Austria, where Franz Hacker (1900-1980) was a notable Austrian writer and poet, known for his works exploring themes of love, nature, and human existence.

While the surname Hacker has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including English-speaking countries, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hacker

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hacker.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hacker was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hacker has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hacker was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hacker, please contact us.

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