2000
#9,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Hocker
Derived from a Middle High German nickname for a squatter or hunchback, from the verb "hocken" meaning "to squat."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,424 Americans carry the last name Hocker. That puts it at #10,271 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,103 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hocker 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hocker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,103
Census rank
#10,271
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,986 bearers of the surname Hocker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10271st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hocker, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hocker
The surname Hocker is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Hocker," which means "one who sits on a bench." This occupation-based surname likely referred to someone who worked as a cobbler or shoemaker, as these tradesmen would often sit on benches while plying their craft.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hocker can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of documents from the city of Bremen, Germany, dated around the 14th century. In these records, the name appears as "Hockere," which is believed to be an early variant spelling.
The Hocker surname also has connections to various place names throughout Germany. For example, the town of Hockenheim in the state of Baden-Württemberg is thought to be derived from the same root word, suggesting that the Hocker family may have originated from or resided in this area.
Notable individuals with the Hocker surname throughout history include Johann Hocker (1498-1571), a German theologian and Reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another prominent figure was Johann Gottfried Hocker (1667-1743), a German jurist and author who wrote extensively on legal topics.
In the 16th century, the Hocker family had established itself as a respected lineage in the city of Nuremberg, Germany. Records from this time period mention several members of the family, including Hans Hocker (1512-1585), a wealthy merchant and city councillor.
Moving into the 18th century, we find Johann Christoph Hocker (1707-1771), a German composer and organist who made significant contributions to the development of church music. His works were widely performed and appreciated during his lifetime.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Hocker (1794-1857), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the revolutionary period of 1848-1849. He was a vocal advocate for liberal reforms and played a crucial role in shaping the political landscape of the time.
Throughout its long history, the Hocker surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Germany, and its origins as an occupation-based name have given it a unique and enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hocker
Among Census respondents with the surname Hocker, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hocker 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 Hocker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.0% · 2,269
- Black or African American13.8% · 413
- Two or more races5.8% · 173
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hocker
Hocker 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
#9,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,229
+109 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 430 places
2020
#10,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,986
-243 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 282 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,559 | 3,120 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,989 | 3,229 | 1.09 | +109 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 430 places |
| 2020 | #10,271 | 2,986 | 1.00 | -243 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 282 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 Hocker 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 | #9,989 | #10,271 | -2.8% |
| Count | 3,229 | 2,986 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.00 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hocker bearers went from 3,229 to 2,986 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 282 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,989 to #10,271.
FAQ
Hocker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hocker?
Name Census estimates that about 3,424 living Americans carry the surname Hocker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,103 residents.
How common is Hocker?
Hocker ranks #10,271 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,986 people with the surname Hocker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,424), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hocker.
Has Hocker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hocker went from 3,229 recorded bearers to 2,986. That is a decrease of 243 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,989 to #10,271.
What does the Census say about the background of Hocker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hocker, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Hocker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.0% (2,269 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hocker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.0%), Black (13.8%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Hocker (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 Hocker mean?
Derived from a Middle High German nickname for a squatter or hunchback, from the verb "hocken" meaning "to squat." 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 Hocker (1.00 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 Americans have the surname Hocker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.