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

Hockaday, 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 Hockaday surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hockaday in America

Hockaday is the 13177th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hockaday surname appeared 2,320 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hockaday.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hockaday 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 Hockaday

The surname Hockaday has its origins in England, particularly in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it first appeared in records dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hocca" and "dæg," which together mean "high day" or "holiday."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which lists a "Willelmus Hokedaye." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a particular hill or high ground, or perhaps someone who was associated with a specific holiday or celebration.

In the 16th century, the Hockaday surname appeared in various parish records and manorial documents across northern England. Notable examples include a John Hockaday, who was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, around 1550, and a William Hockaday, born in Lancashire in 1588.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname spread to other parts of England and began appearing in historical records beyond the northern regions. One significant figure was Sir John Hockaday (1668-1737), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who served as High Sheriff of the county in 1714.

Another notable Hockaday was Robert Hockaday (1725-1808), an English clergyman and author who served as a curate in Bedfordshire and published several religious works, including "The Book of Common Prayer Explained" in 1787.

As the name spread, it also took on various spellings, such as Hokaday, Hokyday, and Hockiday, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. Some of these alternative spellings can be found in historical documents, such as the marriage record of a Thomas Hokaday in Derbyshire in 1692.

In the 19th century, the Hockaday surname became more widely dispersed across the British Isles and beyond, as members of the family emigrated to other parts of the world. One example is James Hockaday (1811-1890), a successful businessman and politician who emigrated from England to New Zealand in the 1840s and served as a Member of Parliament in the country's House of Representatives.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hockaday

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

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

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

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