2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hoette
A surname of German origin likely denoting someone from a place name containing "Hoette" or a variation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Hoette. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hoette 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Hoette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoette, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hoette
The surname Hoette originated in Germany and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "huote," which meant "guard" or "watchman." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked as a guard or watchman, perhaps in a castle or fortified town.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hoette can be found in a German census document from the late 13th century, where a man named Heinrich Hoette was listed as a resident of the town of Lübeck. It is possible that this individual or his ancestors had been employed as guards or watchmen in the area.
During the medieval period, the spelling of the name varied slightly, with variations such as Hoette, Hoetten, and Hoette appearing in various records. These variations likely reflect regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions at the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Hoette (1480-1547) was a prominent merchant and city councilor in the city of Augsburg. His success in business and civic involvement suggest that the Hoette name had gained some social standing by this time.
Another historical figure bearing the Hoette surname was Johann Hoette (1620-1687), a Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony. His works on theology and religious philosophy were widely read and influential during the 17th century.
Centuries later, in the 19th century, a man named Friedrich Hoette (1822-1891) gained recognition as a skilled architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and public spaces in the city of Berlin.
Additionally, the name Hoette has been associated with certain place names in Germany, such as the village of Hoettenbach, which may have derived its name from the presence of individuals with the surname Hoette in the area.
Throughout its history, the surname Hoette has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, scholars, architects, and likely many others whose stories have been lost to time. While not as widespread as some other German surnames, it has endured as a part of the country's rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hoette
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoette, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hoette 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 Hoette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 108
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hoette
Hoette appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,963 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 Hoette 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 | #152,628 | #148,665 | 2.6% |
| Count | 107 | 111 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hoette bearers went from 107 to 111 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #148,665.
FAQ
Hoette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hoette?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Hoette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Hoette?
Hoette ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Hoette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Hoette.
Has Hoette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hoette went from 107 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Hoette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoette, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Hoette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hoette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Hoette (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 Hoette mean?
A surname of German origin likely denoting someone from a place name containing "Hoette" or a variation. 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 Hoette (0.04 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 Hoette?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Hoette on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.