2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hohneke
A Germanic surname derived from a personal name or nickname meaning "crier" or "shouter".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Hohneke. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hohneke 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Hohneke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hohneke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hohneke
The surname HOHNEKE is of German origin, originating in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Low German word "hone," which means "rooster" or "cock," and the diminutive suffix "-ke." This suggests the name was likely given as a nickname to someone who was perceived to have rooster-like qualities, such as a strutting gait or a boisterous demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the HOHNEKE surname can be traced back to the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia in northern Germany. Several variations in spelling were common during this time, including Hohneke, Hohnecke, Hohnecken, and Höhneke.
In the 15th century, a record from the city of Hannover mentions a Johannes Hohneke, a merchant and landowner. This is one of the earliest documented examples of the surname in use.
During the 16th century, the HOHNEKE name appeared in various municipal records and church registers across northern Germany. Notable individuals from this period include Hans Hohneke (1512-1587), a respected baker and member of the guild in the town of Lüneburg.
In the 17th century, the HOHNEKE surname gained recognition through the works of Johann Hohneke (1635-1705), a Lutheran theologian and author from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. His publications on religious philosophy and biblical exegesis were widely read throughout the Holy Roman Empire.
As the centuries progressed, the HOHNEKE name spread beyond its northern German origins. In the 19th century, Carl Hohneke (1819-1892) was a prominent architect and urban planner who contributed to the development of several German cities, including Berlin and Leipzig.
Another notable figure was Theodor Hohneke (1876-1954), a German painter and illustrator known for his romantic depictions of rural landscapes and traditional German life. His works were celebrated during the early 20th century and are still exhibited in art museums across Germany.
Despite its Germanic roots, the HOHNEKE surname has also found its way into other parts of the world through migration and dispersal. For instance, Johann Hohneke (1842-1912) was a German immigrant to the United States who became a successful farmer and landowner in the state of Wisconsin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hohneke
Among Census respondents with the surname Hohneke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hohneke 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 Hohneke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hohneke
Hohneke 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,438 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 Hohneke 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 | #146,201 | #151,639 | -3.7% |
| Count | 113 | 107 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hohneke bearers went from 113 to 107 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #151,639.
FAQ
Hohneke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hohneke?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Hohneke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Hohneke?
Hohneke ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Hohneke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Hohneke.
Has Hohneke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hohneke went from 113 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Hohneke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hohneke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Hohneke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hohneke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%), Black (1.9%). 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 Hohneke (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 Hohneke mean?
A Germanic surname derived from a personal name or nickname meaning "crier" or "shouter". 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 Hohneke (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 share the surname Hohneke?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.