Hatcher last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Hatcher

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hatches, gates, or grates.

Hatcher, 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 Hatcher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hatcher in America

Hatcher is the 1210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hatcher surname appeared 29,235 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Hatcher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hatcher 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 1210 1127 7.10%
Count 29,235 28,424 2.81%
Proportion per 100k 9.91 10.54 -6.16%

The history of the last name 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hatcher

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

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 Hatcher was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 68.00% 19,880
Non-Hispanic Black Only 26.36% 7,706
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.47% 137
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.79% 231
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.50% 731
Hispanic Origin 1.88% 550

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 Hatcher has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 68.00% 70.10% -3.04%
Black 26.36% 25.65% 2.73%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.47% 0.38% 21.18%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.79% 0.78% 1.27%
Two or More Races 2.50% 1.76% 34.74%
Hispanic 1.88% 1.33% 34.27%

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 Hatcher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Hatcher last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 6, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/hatcher-surname-popularity/.

"Hatcher last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/hatcher-surname-popularity/. Accessed 6 December, 2024

Hatcher last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/hatcher-surname-popularity/.

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