2000
#25,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 907
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Hodes
A surname possibly derived from Hebrew referring to gratitude or praise.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,142 Americans carry the last name Hodes. That puts it at #25,893 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 300,135 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hodes 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
1.1K
1 in 300,135
Census rank
#25,893
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
996
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 996 bearers of the surname Hodes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25893rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hodes, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hodes
The surname HODES is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It likely derives from the German word "hode," meaning "hill" or "mound," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a hill or elevated area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Annals of Cologne, a medieval chronicle dating back to the 13th century. Here, a certain Johannes Hodes is mentioned as a prominent citizen of the city.
In the 14th century, records show a Wilhelm Hodes serving as a magistrate in the town of Aachen. This suggests that by this time, the Hodes family had established itself as a respected and influential presence in the region.
Moving into the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing this surname was Hans Hodes (1470-1531), a German painter and woodcarver known for his intricate religious altarpieces and sculptures. His works can still be found in several churches throughout southern Germany.
During the 17th century, the Hodes name appeared in various places across central Europe. For instance, a family by the name of Hodes was documented as living in the town of Hódmezővásárhely in what is now modern-day Hungary. This locality may have derived its name from the Hungarian equivalent of the German word "hode," further reinforcing the surname's geographical origins.
In the 18th century, a prominent theologian and philosopher named Johann Baptist Hodes (1729-1803) gained recognition for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy. Born in Bavaria, he spent much of his career as a professor at the University of Ingolstadt.
As the Hodes name spread across Europe over the centuries, it underwent various spelling variations, including Hode, Hodeß, and Hodess. These alternative forms can be found in historical records from different regions, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hodes
Among Census respondents with the surname Hodes, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hodes 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 Hodes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 906
- Two or more races3.1% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 28
- Black or African American2.3% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hodes
Hodes 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
#25,620
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 963
+56 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 56 places
2020
#25,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 996
+33 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 273 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,564 | 907 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,620 | 963 | 0.33 | +56 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 56 places |
| 2020 | #25,893 | 996 | 0.33 | +33 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 273 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 Hodes 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 | #25,620 | #25,893 | -1.1% |
| Count | 963 | 996 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.33 | 1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hodes bearers went from 963 to 996 (+3.4% change). The surname moved down 273 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,620 to #25,893.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hodes
FAQ
Hodes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hodes?
Name Census estimates that about 1,142 living Americans carry the surname Hodes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 300,135 residents.
How common is Hodes?
Hodes ranks #25,893 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 996 people with the surname Hodes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,142), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Hodes.
Has Hodes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hodes went from 963 recorded bearers to 996. That is an increase of 33 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,620 to #25,893.
What does the Census say about the background of Hodes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hodes, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Hodes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (906 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hodes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Hodes (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 Hodes mean?
A surname possibly derived from Hebrew referring to gratitude or praise. 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 Hodes (0.33 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 Hodes?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Hodes on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.