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

Hobson, 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 Hobson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hobson in America

Hobson is the 2128th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hobson surname appeared 17,043 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Hobson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hobson 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.

The history of the last name Hobson

The surname Hobson originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "hob" meaning a pony or small horse, and "son" denoting a descendant or son. It was an occupational surname given to those who worked with horses, likely handlers, trainers, or breeders.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hobbessune" in the county of Yorkshire. This region, particularly around the areas of Leeds and Bradford, became a stronghold for the Hobson name over the centuries.

In the 13th century, records show a Richard Hobson held lands in the village of Halton, near Leeds. A century later, in 1379, the Poll Tax Returns mention a John Hobson residing in Pontefract, Yorkshire.

A notable figure bearing the Hobson surname was Thomas Hobson, a carrier and inn-keeper from Cambridge, who lived from 1544 to 1631. His strict policy of renting out horses in a rotating order, regardless of preference, gave rise to the phrase "Hobson's choice" – meaning no real choice at all.

Another prominent Hobson was Captain William Hobson, who served as the first Governor of New Zealand from 1840 to 1842. He played a crucial role in establishing British sovereignty over the islands through the Treaty of Waitangi.

In the literary world, Ralph Hobson (1655-1712) was an English playwright and author, best known for his comedy "The Virtuoso" staged in 1676.

The name also had a presence in the American colonies, with Edward Hobson (1616-1708) being one of the earliest settlers in Rhode Island, arriving in 1637 from England.

Another notable American bearing the Hobson name was Richmond Pearson Hobson (1870-1937), a celebrated naval officer who gained fame for his daring attempt to sink the USS Merrimac in the harbor of Santiago, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War.

While the Hobson surname initially held occupational connotations, it eventually became associated with places like Hobson's Conduit in Cambridge and Hobson's Bay in Australia, further cementing its widespread recognition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hobson

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

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 Hobson was:

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

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

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

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