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

Hockenberry, 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 Hockenberry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hockenberry in America

Hockenberry is the 8114th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hockenberry surname appeared 4,086 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 Hockenberry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hockenberry 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 Hockenberry

The surname Hockenberry is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the late medieval period or early modern era. It is thought to be derived from the German place name "Hockenheim" or a similar location, with the addition of the suffix "-berry" denoting someone from that area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the 1683 baptismal records of Darmstadt, Germany, where a Johann Hockenberry is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have been in use as early as the 17th century in certain regions of what is now southwestern Germany.

In the 18th century, the surname appears to have spread beyond its initial geographic origins. Johann Peter Hockenberry, born in 1723 in the Palatinate region of Germany, is recorded as having immigrated to Pennsylvania in the American colonies in the 1740s, indicating the name's presence in the early German-American immigrant community.

Among notable historical figures bearing the Hockenberry surname is William B. Hockenberry, a Union soldier during the American Civil War who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Antietam in 1862. Another is John H. Hockenberry, born in 1856 in Ohio, who served as a U.S. Congressman from 1905 to 1911.

In the literary world, author and journalist John Hockenberry, born in 1956, is a prominent figure known for his work as a correspondent for NBC News and as the host of several public radio programs. His memoir, "Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of Independence," published in 1995, chronicles his experiences as a disabled journalist.

The name Hockenberry has also been associated with various place names in the United States, such as Hockenberry Road in Pennsylvania and Hockenberry Lane in Indiana, reflecting the spread and settlement of families with this surname across different regions of the country.

While not as common as some other German-derived surnames, Hockenberry has left its mark on historical records and continues to be a recognizable name in various fields, particularly in the United States where many early German immigrants settled.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hockenberry

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

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

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

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