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

Hodgson, 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 Hodgson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hodgson in America

Hodgson is the 3511th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hodgson surname appeared 10,173 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Hodgson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hodgson 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 Hodgson

The surname Hodgson originated in England and is derived from the Middle English words "hodge," meaning a familiar form of the name Roger, and "son," meaning son of. It can be traced back to the 13th century and is believed to have its roots in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hodgson can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a certain William Hodgeson is mentioned. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname, but it does mention several place names that may have contributed to its formation, such as Hodgeston (now known as Huddleston) in Yorkshire.

In the 15th century, the surname Hodgson appeared in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1429, which listed a Ralph Hodgeson. Another notable entry is found in the Feet of Fines for Lancashire in 1486, where a John Hodgeson is mentioned.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Hodgson was Reverend Robert Hodgson (c.1490-1555), who served as the Dean of Carlisle Cathedral in Cumbria. Another prominent figure was Captain John Hodgson (1599-1660), an English sea captain and merchant adventurer who played a significant role in the early colonization of Virginia.

In the literary world, Brian Houghton Hodgson (1800-1894), a British naturalist and ethnologist, made significant contributions to the study of Himalayan cultures and languages. He served as the British Resident in Nepal for over two decades and is credited with introducing the study of Tibetan Buddhism to the West.

Other notable individuals with the surname Hodgson include Studholme Hodgson (1707-1798), an English mathematician and tutor at Oxford University, and Ralph Hodgson (1871-1962), an English poet and playwright best known for his works "The Song of Honour" and "The Bull."

Throughout history, the surname Hodgson has been spelled in various ways, such as Hodgeson, Hodgsonne, and Hodgesone, reflecting regional variations and changes in spelling conventions over time. The name has also been associated with several place names, including Hodgsonton and Hodgson's Farm, both in Nottinghamshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hodgson

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

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

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

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