2000
#5,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,430
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.01
Rare Last name
Hodson
An English habitational surname derived from places meaning "Hod's son" or "son of Hod."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,774 Americans carry the last name Hodson. That puts it at #5,659 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,599 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hodson 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 Hodson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.8K
1 in 50,599
Census rank
#5,659
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,907 bearers of the surname Hodson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5659th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hodson, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hodson
The surname Hodson originated in England during the medieval period, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hog" and "dun," meaning a hog herder or someone who lived near a hog hill or down. Some variations of the spelling include Hodgeson, Hodghson, and Hodgshon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, which mentions a John Hogesone. The Hodson name is also found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, listing a William Hogeson.
In the 14th century, the Hodson surname can be found in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Cumberland from 1332, which lists a Robert Hoggeson. The name also appears in the Calender of Inquisitiones Post Mortem from 1365, referencing a John Hoggeson.
During the 15th century, the surname continued to spread across England, with records such as the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1429, mentioning a John Hoggeson. The Hodson name is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1476, listing a Thomas Hodgeson.
Notable individuals with the surname Hodson throughout history include Sir Robert Hodgson (c. 1490-1551), an English merchant and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was Nathaniel Hodson (1629-1688), an English clergyman and Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.
In the 18th century, Jeremiah Hodson (1719-1783) was an English clergyman and author, known for his work "The Vindication of the Doctrine of Scripture and Embracing Universal Restitution." James Hodson (1757-1835) was a British general who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
During the 19th century, Sir Robert Hodgson (1798-1871) was a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Prince Edward Island and British Columbia. Wilfred Hodson (1865-1933) was an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.
These examples demonstrate the historical presence and significance of the Hodson surname, which has its roots in medieval England and has been carried by notable individuals across various professions throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hodson
Among Census respondents with the surname Hodson, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hodson 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 Hodson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 5,222
- Two or more races4.4% · 260
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 224
- Black or African American1.7% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 48
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hodson
Hodson 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
#5,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,296
+866 bearers (+15.9%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Up 314 places
2020
#5,659
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,907
-389 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.98
Rank movement Down 137 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,836 | 5,430 | 2.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,522 | 6,296 | 2.13 | +866 bearers (+15.9%) | Up 314 places |
| 2020 | #5,659 | 5,907 | 1.98 | -389 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 137 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 Hodson 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 | #5,522 | #5,659 | -2.5% |
| Count | 6,296 | 5,907 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.13 | 1.98 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hodson bearers went from 6,296 to 5,907 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 137 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,522 to #5,659.
FAQ
Hodson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hodson?
Name Census estimates that about 6,774 living Americans carry the surname Hodson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,599 residents.
How common is Hodson?
Hodson ranks #5,659 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,907 people with the surname Hodson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,774), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hodson.
Has Hodson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hodson went from 6,296 recorded bearers to 5,907. That is a decrease of 389 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,522 to #5,659.
What does the Census say about the background of Hodson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hodson, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Hodson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (5,222 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hodson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Hodson (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 Hodson mean?
An English habitational surname derived from places meaning "Hod's son" or "son of Hod." 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 Hodson (1.98 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 Hodson?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Hodson is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.