Hoblit
An English surname derived from a medieval personal name derived from an Old English word meaning "hollow."
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 377 Americans carry the last name Hoblit. That puts it at #60,045 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 909,163 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hoblit surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
377
1 in 909,163
Census rank
#60,045
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
336
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 336 bearers of the surname Hoblit in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60045th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoblit, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hoblit
The surname HOBLIT is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy in northern France during the early medieval period. Its roots can be traced back to the Old Norse words 'hob' and 'lit', which together meant 'small person'. This suggests that the name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone of diminutive stature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a person named Hobbelet as a tenant in the village of Clapham, near Bedford.
In the 13th century, the name is found in various forms such as Hoblit, Hoblyt, and Hobelet in records from the counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Essex. This indicates that the name had spread across parts of eastern and southern England, likely due to the Norman influence following the conquest of 1066.
A notable bearer of the surname was John Hoblit, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of London during the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents from the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III.
Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Hoblit, a judge and member of Parliament who served during the reign of Henry VIII in the early 16th century. He played a role in the dissolution of the monasteries and was known for his expertise in canon law.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Hoblett, Hoblitt, and Hoblit in parish records from counties like Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. One individual of note was William Hoblit, a Puritan clergyman who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s and became a prominent figure in the early days of the settlement.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with concentrations in the Midlands and southern counties. Notable bearers included Samuel Hoblit, a renowned engraver and printmaker who was active in London during the late 1700s, and Emily Hoblit, a children's author and educator who published several works in the mid-1800s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hoblit
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoblit, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hoblit bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Hoblit surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5%
- Two or more races3.9%
- Hispanic or Latino1.8%
- Unknown or suppressed0.9%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Hoblit surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #55,849 | #60,045 | -7.5% |
| Count | 343 | 336 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.11 | -15.4% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Hoblit bearers went from 343 to 336 (-2.0% change). The surname moved down 4,196 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,849 to #60,045.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hoblit
FAQ
Hoblit surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Hoblit?
The surname Hoblit holds position #60,045 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 377 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Hoblit surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoblit, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (1.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.