2000
#11,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,524
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Hockman
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hocks, the knuckles or ankles of pigs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,636 Americans carry the last name Hockman. That puts it at #12,791 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hockman 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
2.6K
1 in 130,028
Census rank
#12,791
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,299 bearers of the surname Hockman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12791st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hockman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hockman
The surname Hockman is of English origin, with roots dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have emerged as an occupational name, referring to individuals who were employed as 'hockmen' or 'hucksters' – peddlers or hawkers who traveled from town to town selling their wares.
The name is derived from the Middle English word 'hukster,' which itself stems from the Old French 'huquer,' meaning 'to hawk' or 'to peddle.' This linguistic lineage suggests that the Hockman name was borne by those who made a living through the trade of small goods and merchandise.
Historical records indicate that the earliest known instances of the Hockman surname can be found in the parish registers of Hertfordshire and Essex counties in England. Among the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Hockman, whose birth was documented in the parish of Great Hormead, Hertfordshire, in 1591.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Hockman name appeared sporadically in various English records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662 and the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642. In the latter document, a Thomas Hockman was listed as a resident of the town of Colchester, Essex.
Notably, the Hockman surname was also present in the British colonies of North America during the colonial era. One of the earliest known bearers of the name in the New World was John Hockman, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 and later settled in Northampton County.
Throughout history, several individuals with the Hockman surname have achieved notable recognition. In the realm of literature, Henry Hockman (1822-1891) was a British author and journalist who published works on various subjects, including history and travel. In the field of music, William Hockman (1801-1871) was an English violinist and composer who served as the principal violinist for the Royal Opera House in London.
Other notable Hockmans include Richard Hockman (1789-1853), a British politician and member of parliament for the city of Norwich, and John Hockman (1765-1842), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and later became a successful businessman in Pennsylvania.
While the Hockman name may not be as widespread as some other English surnames, its history and origins remain firmly rooted in the occupational traditions of medieval England, serving as a testament to the rich tapestry of cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped the English language and its naming conventions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hockman
Among Census respondents with the surname Hockman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hockman 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 Hockman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 2,142
- Two or more races3.1% · 72
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hockman
Hockman 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
#9,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,242
+718 bearers (+28.4%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 1,493 places
2020
#12,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,299
-943 bearers (-29.1%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 2,835 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,449 | 2,524 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,956 | 3,242 | 1.10 | +718 bearers (+28.4%) | Up 1,493 places |
| 2020 | #12,791 | 2,299 | 0.77 | -943 bearers (-29.1%) | Down 2,835 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 Hockman 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 | #9,956 | #12,791 | -28.5% |
| Count | 3,242 | 2,299 | -29.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 0.77 | -30.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hockman bearers went from 3,242 to 2,299 (-29.1% change). The surname moved down 2,835 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,956 to #12,791.
FAQ
Hockman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hockman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,636 living Americans carry the surname Hockman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,028 residents.
How common is Hockman?
Hockman ranks #12,791 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,299 people with the surname Hockman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Hockman.
Has Hockman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hockman went from 3,242 recorded bearers to 2,299. That is a decrease of 943 (-29.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,956 to #12,791.
What does the Census say about the background of Hockman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hockman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Hockman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (2,142 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hockman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Hockman (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 Hockman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of hocks, the knuckles or ankles of pigs. 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 Hockman (0.77 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 are called Hockman?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Hockman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.