2000
#87,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 198
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Hockers
A habitational surname for someone living near a ridge or pointed hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 242 Americans carry the last name Hockers. That puts it at #93,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,416,340 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hockers 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
242
1 in 1,416,340
Census rank
#93,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
211
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 211 bearers of the surname Hockers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 93282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hockers, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hockers
The surname Hockers originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "hocker," which means "one who sits in a crouched or squatting position." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who habitually adopted this posture.
In its early days, the name was often spelled with variations such as Hocker, Hockerr, and Hockere, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions during that era. The earliest known record of the name appears in a 1375 manuscript from the town of Augsburg, which mentions a certain Hans Hockere.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it became associated with various trades and occupations that involved prolonged periods of sitting or squatting, such as cobblers, tailors, and weavers. This occupational connection may have contributed to the name's popularity and dissemination.
One notable figure bearing the Hockers surname was Johann Hockers (1516-1585), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Electors of Saxony. His compositions, which included motets and liturgical works, were widely performed and influential during the Renaissance period.
Another historically significant individual was Matthias Hockers (1648-1719), a German theologian and philosopher who authored several treatises on natural law and moral philosophy. His works were widely studied and discussed in academic circles throughout Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the realm of exploration and adventure, the name Hockers is associated with Wilhelm Hockers (1792-1857), a German naturalist and explorer who participated in several expeditions to South America and the Caribbean. His detailed accounts and collections of plant and animal specimens from these regions contributed significantly to the scientific understanding of the era.
The Hockers surname also found its way to the United States, where one notable figure was Samuel Hockers (1811-1887), a Pennsylvania-born entrepreneur and industrialist who pioneered the use of steam power in the production of agricultural machinery.
Finally, the name Hockers gained recognition in the field of literature through the works of Heinrich Hockers (1872-1942), a German novelist and short story writer known for his vivid depictions of rural life and landscapes in his native Westphalia region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hockers
Among Census respondents with the surname Hockers, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hockers 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 Hockers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.5% · 210
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hockers
Hockers 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
#92,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 198
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 5,371 places
2020
#93,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 211
+13 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 563 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #87,348 | 198 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #92,719 | 198 | 0.07 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 5,371 places |
| 2020 | #93,282 | 211 | 0.07 | +13 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 563 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 Hockers 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 | #92,719 | #93,282 | -0.6% |
| Count | 198 | 211 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hockers bearers went from 198 to 211 (+6.6% change). The surname moved down 563 positions in the national ranking, going from #92,719 to #93,282.
FAQ
Hockers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hockers?
Name Census estimates that about 242 living Americans carry the surname Hockers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,416,340 residents.
How common is Hockers?
Hockers ranks #93,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 211 people with the surname Hockers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (242), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Hockers.
Has Hockers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hockers went from 198 recorded bearers to 211. That is an increase of 13 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #92,719 to #93,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Hockers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hockers, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Hockers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.5% (210 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hockers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Hockers (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 Hockers mean?
A habitational surname for someone living near a ridge or pointed hill. 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 Hockers (0.07 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 Hockers?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Hockers at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.