2000
#56,392
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 339
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Hochstrasser
A German surname referring to someone residing at a high road or trail.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 393 Americans carry the last name Hochstrasser. That puts it at #62,967 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 872,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hochstrasser 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
393
1 in 872,148
Census rank
#62,967
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
343
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 343 bearers of the surname Hochstrasser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62967th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hochstrasser, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hochstrasser
The surname Hochstrasser is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German words "hoch" meaning "high" and "strasse" meaning "street" or "road." This suggests that the name likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived on or near a high street or elevated road.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Hochstrasser can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Historical records from this period often spell the name with slight variations, including Hochstrasser, Hochsträsser, and Hochsträsser.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Hochstrasser, a merchant and landowner from the town of Nürnberg, who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Hans Hochstrasser, a skilled craftsman and member of the guild of goldsmiths in Augsburg, who was active in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Hochstrasser family gained prominence in the region of Franconia, with several members holding positions of importance in local government and the clergy. Johann Michael Hochstrasser, born in 1652, was a respected theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Erlangen.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it also found its way into neighboring countries. In the 18th century, a branch of the Hochstrasser family settled in Switzerland, where they became prominent in the watchmaking industry. One of the most renowned members was Johann Jakob Hochstrasser (1734-1798), a renowned horologist and inventor from Geneva.
In the 19th century, the Hochstrasser name gained recognition in the field of academia and literature. Karl Hochstrasser (1819-1885) was a German philologist and professor at the University of Tübingen, known for his contributions to the study of Old High German literature.
While the surname Hochstrasser has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made their mark in diverse fields, from craftsmanship and commerce to academia and theology, reflecting the rich history and heritage associated with this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hochstrasser
Among Census respondents with the surname Hochstrasser, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hochstrasser 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 Hochstrasser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 306
- Two or more races4.4% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hochstrasser
Hochstrasser 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
#56,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 359
+20 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 444 places
2020
#62,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 343
-16 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 6,131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,392 | 339 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #56,836 | 359 | 0.12 | +20 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 444 places |
| 2020 | #62,967 | 343 | 0.11 | -16 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 6,131 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 Hochstrasser 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 | #56,836 | #62,967 | -10.8% |
| Count | 359 | 343 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.11 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hochstrasser bearers went from 359 to 343 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 6,131 positions in the national ranking, going from #56,836 to #62,967.
FAQ
Hochstrasser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hochstrasser?
Name Census estimates that about 393 living Americans carry the surname Hochstrasser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 872,148 residents.
How common is Hochstrasser?
Hochstrasser ranks #62,967 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 343 people with the surname Hochstrasser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (393), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Hochstrasser.
Has Hochstrasser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hochstrasser went from 359 recorded bearers to 343. That is a decrease of 16 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #56,836 to #62,967.
What does the Census say about the background of Hochstrasser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hochstrasser, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Hochstrasser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (306 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hochstrasser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Hochstrasser (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 Hochstrasser mean?
A German surname referring to someone residing at a high road or trail. 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 Hochstrasser (0.11 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 people have the last name Hochstrasser?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Hochstrasser at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.