2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hoeye
A surname of Dutch origin meaning a "high field" or "raised land".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Hoeye. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hoeye 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Hoeye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoeye, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hoeye
The surname HOEYE originates from the Low German region, primarily in the areas that are now modern-day northern Germany and the Netherlands. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
One possible derivation of HOEYE is from the Low German word "hoye," which referred to a small hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have initially been a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or on a small hill or elevated area. Alternatively, it could be derived from the Low German word "hoge," meaning "high" or "tall," which may have been used as a descriptive nickname for a person of tall stature.
The earliest recorded instances of the HOEYE surname can be traced back to the late 15th century in various municipal and church records from the Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia regions of Germany. One notable example is Johann Hoeye, a merchant from the city of Bremen, who was mentioned in a trade document dated 1478.
In the Netherlands, the name HOEYE appears in historical records from the 16th century onwards, primarily in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen. A prominent figure bearing this surname was Pieter Hoeye (1537-1612), a Dutch sea captain and explorer who was involved in several voyages to the East Indies and the Spice Islands.
Another notable individual was Hendrick Hoeye (1601-1678), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraits and genre scenes. His works can be found in various museums across the Netherlands and Europe.
In the 17th century, the HOEYE surname also appeared in records from the Duchy of Schleswig (now part of Denmark and Germany). One example is Hans Hoeye (1632-1711), a Lutheran pastor and theologian who served in the city of Flensburg.
As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Hoeije, Hoeye, Hoeij, and Hoeijen. These spelling variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of scribes or record-keepers.
Throughout history, several individuals with the HOEYE surname have made significant contributions in various fields, including arts, sciences, and academia. However, due to the limited scope of this report, only a handful of notable examples can be provided, such as the aforementioned Pieter Hoeye, Hendrick Hoeye, and Hans Hoeye.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hoeye
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoeye, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hoeye 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 Hoeye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 90
- Two or more races5.0% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hoeye
Hoeye 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-10 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,758 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-25 bearers (-20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,970 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 15,758 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -25 bearers (-20.0%) | Down 20,970 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 Hoeye 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 | #134,712 | #155,682 | -15.6% |
| Count | 125 | 100 | -20.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hoeye bearers went from 125 to 100 (-20.0% change). The surname moved down 20,970 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #155,682.
FAQ
Hoeye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hoeye?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Hoeye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Hoeye?
Hoeye ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Hoeye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Hoeye.
Has Hoeye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hoeye went from 125 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 25 (-20.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Hoeye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoeye, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Hoeye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hoeye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Hoeye (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 Hoeye mean?
A surname of Dutch origin meaning a "high field" or "raised land". 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 Hoeye (0.03 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 surname Hoeye?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.