2000
#1,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,564
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.48
Uncommon Last name
Hatch
Derived from a Middle English topographic name for someone who lived near a gate or sluice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,517 Americans carry the last name Hatch. That puts it at #1,294 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hatch 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 Hatch with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 11,232
Census rank
#1,294
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,612 bearers of the surname Hatch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1294th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hatch, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hatch
The surname Hatch has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to derive from the Old English word "haec," meaning a gate or a hatch, which was a term used for a half-door or an opening in a fence or wall. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a gate or a hatch, or perhaps someone who worked as a gatekeeper.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hatch can be found in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a 13th-century English record of landowners, where a person named Richard de la Hache is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Hache," is thought to be an earlier form of the modern surname Hatch.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Hache, Hacche, and Hatche, in various records and documents from different parts of England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire and the Feet of Fines for Essex.
During the 16th century, the surname Hatch began to take on its more recognizable modern spelling. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Hatch (c. 1570 - c. 1616), an English explorer and colonist who was among the first settlers of Virginia in the early 17th century.
In the 17th century, the surname Hatch was well-established in various regions of England, particularly in counties like Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. One notable figure from this era was Ralph Hatch (1642 - 1727), an English Puritan minister and author who served as a chaplain in the British Army during the reign of King William III.
Moving into the 18th century, the name Hatch continued to be prominent in England, with several individuals making their mark in various fields. One such person was James Hatch (1748 - 1830), an English engraver and painter who is known for his portraits and landscapes.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Hatch spread to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada, where many individuals bearing this name settled and contributed to the development of their respective communities.
Overall, the surname Hatch has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in medieval England, where it was likely derived from the Old English word "haec," referring to a gate or a hatch. Throughout the centuries, individuals with this surname have left their mark in various fields, from exploration and colonization to religion, art, and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hatch
Among Census respondents with the surname Hatch, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hatch 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 Hatch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 22,447
- Black or African American6.5% · 1,728
- Two or more races3.7% · 980
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 916
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 326
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 215
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hatch
Hatch 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
#1,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,903
+1,339 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 9.12
Rank movement Down 42 places
2020
#1,294
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,612
-291 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 8.90
Rank movement Up 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,262 | 25,564 | 9.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,304 | 26,903 | 9.12 | +1,339 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 42 places |
| 2020 | #1,294 | 26,612 | 8.90 | -291 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 10 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 Hatch 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 | #1,304 | #1,294 | 0.8% |
| Count | 26,903 | 26,612 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 9.12 | 8.90 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hatch bearers went from 26,903 to 26,612 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,304 to #1,294.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hatch
FAQ
Hatch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hatch?
Name Census estimates that about 30,517 living Americans carry the surname Hatch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,232 residents.
How common is Hatch?
Hatch ranks #1,294 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,612 people with the surname Hatch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,517), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Hatch.
Has Hatch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hatch went from 26,903 recorded bearers to 26,612. That is a decrease of 291 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,304 to #1,294.
What does the Census say about the background of Hatch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hatch, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Hatch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (22,447 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hatch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Hatch (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 Hatch mean?
Derived from a Middle English topographic name for someone who lived near a gate or sluice. 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 Hatch (8.90 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 have the surname Hatch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.