Find out how popular the last name Hoke is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hoke.

Hoke, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hoke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hoke in America

Hoke is the 3901st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hoke surname appeared 9,096 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Hoke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hoke to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hoke

The surname HOKE originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "hoch," meaning "high" or "elevated," potentially referring to someone who lived on a hill or a high place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HOKE can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Fulda, Germany, where a person named Hocco was mentioned in a land deed from the year 1189.

The name HOKE also appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts from different parts of Germany, such as the Liber Censuum from the city of Cologne, where a certain Hocken was listed as a taxpayer in 1312.

In the 16th century, the HOKE surname began to spread beyond Germany, with some notable individuals bearing this name. One example is Johann Hoke, a German Protestant reformer born in 1535 in Renchen, who played a significant role in the Reformation movement in the region of Baden.

As the name HOKE continued to evolve, it took on various spellings and forms, including Hocke, Hocken, and Hoken. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciations.

Another historical figure with the HOKE surname was Christoph Hoke, a German composer and organist born in 1554 in Hildesheim. He was renowned for his contributions to sacred music and served as the court organist for the Prince-Bishop of Hildesheim.

In the 18th century, the HOKE name found its way to the United States, with some of the earliest recorded instances being Johann Hoke, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1743, and Michael Hoke, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1765.

One notable American figure with the HOKE surname was Robert Frederick Hoke, a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Born in 1837 in Lincolnton, North Carolina, he fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Chancellorsville and the Siege of Petersburg.

Another significant individual with the HOKE name was Esther Hoke, a pioneering American archaeologist born in 1884 in Pennsylvania. She conducted extensive excavations in the southwestern United States and made significant contributions to the understanding of ancient Pueblo cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hoke

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hoke.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hoke was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hoke has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hoke was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hoke, please contact us.

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