2000
#7,051
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,375
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.62
Rare Last name
Hackworth
An English occupational surname referring to a maker of hacks, a tool used for cutting or chopping.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,947 Americans carry the last name Hackworth. That puts it at #7,451 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,285 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hackworth surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hackworth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,285
Census rank
#7,451
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,314 bearers of the surname Hackworth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7451st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hackworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hackworth
The surname Hackworth is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 16th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the place name "Hackworth" or "Hackforth" in County Durham. The name itself is believed to be derived from the Old English words "haecc" meaning a gate or hatch, and "worth" meaning an enclosed settlement or farm.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hackworth can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of County Durham, dated 1595, which lists a John Hackworth. Another early record is from the Parish Registers of Gainford, County Durham, where a William Hackworth was mentioned in 1621.
In the 17th century, the surname appears to have spread beyond County Durham, with records showing Hackworths residing in other parts of northern England, such as Yorkshire and Northumberland. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Hackworth, a renowned English civil engineer and pioneer of steam locomotion, who was born in 1786 in Wylam, Northumberland.
The Hackworth surname also appears in some historical documents from the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Gateshead, County Durham, record the marriage of John Hackworth and Elizabeth Fenwick in 1712. Additionally, the Hearth Tax Returns for County Durham in 1666 list several individuals with the surname Hackworth.
Throughout history, there have been several noteworthy individuals with the Hackworth surname. One such figure was Timothy Hackworth (1786-1850), a renowned English steam locomotive engineer and inventor, who was born in Wylam, Northumberland. Another was John Hackworth (1844-1923), a British civil engineer and surveyor who worked on notable projects such as the Mersey Railway and the Manchester Ship Canal.
Other notable Hackworths include William Hackworth (1888-1962), a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wallsend from 1945 to 1950. Additionally, there was John Towill Hackworth (1819-1884), an English mining engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of coal mining technology in the 19th century.
While the surname Hackworth is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the northern counties of England, particularly County Durham and Northumberland. Despite its localized origins, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions in various fields, including engineering, politics, and trade unionism, over the course of several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hackworth
Among Census respondents with the surname Hackworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hackworth bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hackworth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.5% · 3,557
- Black or African American10.6% · 459
- Two or more races3.3% · 143
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hackworth
Hackworth appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,303
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,566
+191 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 252 places
2020
#7,451
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,314
-252 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 148 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,051 | 4,375 | 1.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,303 | 4,566 | 1.55 | +191 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 252 places |
| 2020 | #7,451 | 4,314 | 1.44 | -252 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 148 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hackworth surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,303 | #7,451 | -2.0% |
| Count | 4,566 | 4,314 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.44 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hackworth bearers went from 4,566 to 4,314 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 148 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,303 to #7,451.
FAQ
Hackworth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hackworth?
Name Census estimates that about 4,947 living Americans carry the surname Hackworth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,285 residents.
How common is Hackworth?
Hackworth ranks #7,451 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,314 people with the surname Hackworth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,947), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hackworth.
Has Hackworth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hackworth went from 4,566 recorded bearers to 4,314. That is a decrease of 252 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,303 to #7,451.
What does the Census say about the background of Hackworth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hackworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hackworth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (3,557 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hackworth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.5%), Black (10.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hackworth (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hackworth mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker of hacks, a tool used for cutting or chopping. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hackworth (1.44 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Hackworth?
You can see how many people have the surname Hackworth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.