2000
#114,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hogshead
A surname derived from an obsolete unit of measurement for liquids, especially beer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 155 Americans carry the last name Hogshead. That puts it at #131,120 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,211,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hogshead 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
155
1 in 2,211,318
Census rank
#131,120
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
135
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 135 bearers of the surname Hogshead in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 131120th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hogshead, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hogshead
The surname HOGSHEAD is an English name that originated in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hogesheved," which referred to a large cask or barrel used for storing and transporting liquids, particularly wine and ale. The name likely emerged as an occupational surname for those involved in the production or transportation of these casks.
In medieval England, the hogshead was a specific unit of measurement, typically equivalent to around 63 gallons. Records from the 14th century indicate that the surname was present in various regions of the country, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Essex.
One of the earliest known references to the surname HOGSHEAD can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dated 1275. This document mentions a person named John Hogesheved, indicating the presence of the name in the region during that period.
Another notable historical reference is the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327, which list a person named John Hogesheved as a taxpayer. This record provides evidence of the surname's use in the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Hoggeshede, Hoggished, and Hoggeshed, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname HOGSHEAD was John Hoggeshede, who was born in Norfolk, England, around 1420. He served as a member of the local gentry and was involved in various legal disputes over land ownership.
Another notable figure was William Hoggished, born in Lincolnshire in 1512. He was a prominent merchant and trader, known for his involvement in the export of wool and other goods to continental Europe.
In the 16th century, the surname HOGSHEAD was also found in Scotland, where it was recorded as Hoggesheid. One such individual was Robert Hoggesheid, born in Edinburgh in 1542, who was a successful brewer and tavern owner.
During the 17th century, the name HOGSHEAD gained prominence in the United States, as several individuals bearing this surname immigrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was John Hogshead, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and became a successful plantation owner.
Another notable figure was Samuel Hogshead, born in Massachusetts in 1678. He was a prominent merchant and politician, serving as a representative in the Massachusetts General Court and playing a significant role in the colony's affairs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hogshead
Among Census respondents with the surname Hogshead, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hogshead 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 Hogshead surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.3% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hogshead
Hogshead 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
#116,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
+7 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,663 places
2020
#131,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
-14 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 14,291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,166 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,829 | 149 | 0.05 | +7 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 2,663 places |
| 2020 | #131,120 | 135 | 0.05 | -14 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 14,291 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 Hogshead 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 | #116,829 | #131,120 | -12.2% |
| Count | 149 | 135 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hogshead bearers went from 149 to 135 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 14,291 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,829 to #131,120.
FAQ
Hogshead surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hogshead?
Name Census estimates that about 155 living Americans carry the surname Hogshead. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,211,318 residents.
How common is Hogshead?
Hogshead ranks #131,120 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 135 people with the surname Hogshead. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (155), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Hogshead.
Has Hogshead become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hogshead went from 149 recorded bearers to 135. That is a decrease of 14 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #116,829 to #131,120.
What does the Census say about the background of Hogshead?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hogshead, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Hogshead in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.3% (134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hogshead appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Hogshead (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 Hogshead mean?
A surname derived from an obsolete unit of measurement for liquids, especially beer. 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 Hogshead (0.05 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 common is the surname Hogshead?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Hogshead, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.