Hatchett last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Hatchett

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hatchets or other small axes.

Hatchett, 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 Hatchett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hatchett in America

Hatchett is the 6005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hatchett surname appeared 5,726 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hatchett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hatchett 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 6005 5942 1.05%
Count 5,726 5,334 7.09%
Proportion per 100k 1.94 1.98 -2.04%

The history of the last name Hatchett

The surname Hatchett originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hæcced," which means "hooked" or "bent." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a path or road with a distinct bend or curve.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named Richard Hacchet is mentioned. The name also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Warwickshire from 1221, which references a William Hacchet.

In the 13th century, the name was often spelled as "Hachet" or "Hacchet." It wasn't until the 14th century that the more modern spelling of "Hatchett" became more prevalent.

The Hatchett name has been associated with various locations throughout England, including the counties of Lincolnshire, Warwickshire, and Somerset. Some place names that may have influenced the surname's development include Hatchett Lane in Wiltshire and Hatchett's Pond in Essex.

Notable individuals with the surname Hatchett throughout history include:

  1. John Hatchett (c. 1435-1505), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1495.
  2. Thomas Hatchett (1588-1654), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Wiltshire from 1638 until his death.
  3. Charles Hatchett (1765-1847), an English chemist and mineralogist who discovered several new elements, including niobium.
  4. John Hatchett (1783-1865), an English architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in London.
  5. William Hatchett (1823-1901), an English lawyer and Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire from 1868 to 1885.

While the name Hatchett may have originated as a descriptive surname referring to someone living near a distinctive path or road, it has since become a well-established surname with a rich history spanning several centuries in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hatchett

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

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 Hatchett was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 41.90% 2,399
Non-Hispanic Black Only 51.69% 2,960
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.38% 22
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.33% 19
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.06% 175
Hispanic Origin 2.64% 151

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 41.90% 43.87% -4.59%
Black 51.69% 51.87% -0.35%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.38% 0.28% 30.30%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.33% 0.36% -8.70%
Two or More Races 3.06% 2.10% 37.21%
Hispanic 2.64% 1.52% 53.85%

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hatchett, 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!

"Hatchett last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 5, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/hatchett-surname-popularity/.

"Hatchett last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/hatchett-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 December, 2024

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

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