2000
#1,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,424
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.54
Uncommon Last name
Hatcher
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hatches, gates, or grates.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 31,929 Americans carry the last name Hatcher. That puts it at #1,242 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,735 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hatcher 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 Hatcher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
32K
1 in 10,735
Census rank
#1,242
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
28K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,844 bearers of the surname Hatcher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1242nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hatcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hatcher
The surname Hatcher originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "hæcce," which referred to a gate or hatch. This name was likely initially given as an occupational surname to someone who worked as a gatekeeper or hatch-tender, responsible for opening and closing gates or hatches.
The earliest known record of the name Hatcher dates back to the 13th century, with a reference to a William le Hacher in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution from its Old English roots.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Hacher, Hatcher, and Hatchere, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling during that time. One notable individual from this era was John Hatcher, a prominent English historian and scholar who lived from 1312 to 1378.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Hatcher. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the surname's development, such as Hatfield and Hatcham.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hatcher surname became more widespread across England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. One notable individual from this period was John Hatcher, an English theologian and author born in 1558, who wrote several religious works.
In the 18th century, the Hatcher name gained further prominence with the birth of Henry Hatcher in 1725. He was a renowned British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.
Another notable figure with this surname was William Hatcher, a British naval officer born in 1776. He served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and was honored for his bravery and leadership in various battles.
As the centuries progressed, the Hatcher surname continued to spread across England and into other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where it was carried by British immigrants and settlers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hatcher
Among Census respondents with the surname Hatcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hatcher 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 Hatcher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.0% · 18,092
- Black or African American25.6% · 7,139
- Two or more races5.1% · 1,433
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 803
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 226
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 151
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hatcher
Hatcher 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
#1,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,235
+811 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 9.91
Rank movement Down 83 places
2020
#1,242
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,844
-1,391 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 9.32
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,127 | 28,424 | 10.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,210 | 29,235 | 9.91 | +811 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 83 places |
| 2020 | #1,242 | 27,844 | 9.32 | -1,391 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 32 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 Hatcher 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 | #1,210 | #1,242 | -2.6% |
| Count | 29,235 | 27,844 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 9.91 | 9.32 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hatcher bearers went from 29,235 to 27,844 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,210 to #1,242.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hatcher
FAQ
Hatcher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hatcher?
Name Census estimates that about 31,929 living Americans carry the surname Hatcher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,735 residents.
How common is Hatcher?
Hatcher ranks #1,242 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.32 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 27,844 people with the surname Hatcher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (31,929), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.32 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 Hatcher.
Has Hatcher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hatcher went from 29,235 recorded bearers to 27,844. That is a decrease of 1,391 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,210 to #1,242.
What does the Census say about the background of Hatcher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hatcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Hatcher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.0% (18,092 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hatcher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.0%), Black (25.6%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Hatcher (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 Hatcher mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hatches, gates, or grates. 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 Hatcher (9.32 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 last name Hatcher?
Find out how many people are called Hatcher on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.