2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hoaks
An Anglicized version of the German surname "Hauks" or "Haucke," possibly derived from the Middle Low German word "hauk" meaning "hawk."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Hoaks. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hoaks 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.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Hoaks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoaks, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hoaks
The surname HOAKS is believed to have originated in England, dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hok," which means "hook" or "angle." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a bend or hooked shape in a road or river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1572, where a John Hoaks is listed as a taxpayer. The name is also found in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, where a Thomas Hoaks was baptized in 1618.
During the 17th century, the HOAKS surname was concentrated primarily in the West Midlands region of England, particularly in Worcestershire and Shropshire. It is possible that the name may have been associated with specific localities or place names in these areas, though the exact origins remain unclear.
A notable figure bearing the HOAKS surname was Robert Hoaks (1628-1692), a prominent merchant and landowner in Worcestershire. He was involved in the wool trade and owned several properties in the area.
Another individual of note was Sarah Hoaks (1745-1819), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in Gloucestershire. Her work helped pave the way for increased access to education for women in the region.
In the 19th century, the HOAKS name spread further across England, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in cities like London and Manchester. One such person was William Hoaks (1812-1879), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Manchester who contributed to the construction of several local churches and schools.
James Hoaks (1866-1942) was a renowned botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Britain. He authored several influential books on gardening and was instrumental in the preservation of many rare plant species.
Ultimately, while the HOAKS surname may have originated from a humble description of one's dwelling near a geographical feature, it has been carried by individuals who have left their mark across various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hoaks
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoaks, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hoaks 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 Hoaks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hoaks
Hoaks 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+9 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 840 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-16 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,748 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 840 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 15,748 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 Hoaks 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 | #132,206 | #147,954 | -11.9% |
| Count | 128 | 112 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hoaks bearers went from 128 to 112 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 15,748 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #147,954.
FAQ
Hoaks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hoaks?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Hoaks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Hoaks?
Hoaks ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Hoaks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hoaks.
Has Hoaks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hoaks went from 128 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Hoaks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoaks, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Hoaks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hoaks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Hoaks (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 Hoaks mean?
An Anglicized version of the German surname "Hauks" or "Haucke," possibly derived from the Middle Low German word "hauk" meaning "hawk." 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 Hoaks (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Hoaks?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.