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

Hood, 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 Hood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hood in America

Hood is the 616th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hood surname appeared 55,174 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Hood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hood 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 Hood

The surname HOOD is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "hod," meaning a hood or cowl. It likely originated as an occupational name for a maker or seller of hoods, or as a nickname for someone who frequently wore a hood.

Early records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hod" in various counties across England. The Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176 include a reference to a "Roger Hood," suggesting the name's use in medieval times.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Robin Hood, the legendary English folk hero from the late 12th century. While his existence remains debated, tales of his exploits in Sherwood Forest have made him a iconic figure in English folklore.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a "William le Hod" in Oxfordshire. The Placita de Quo Warranto of 1293 includes a "Richard Hod" from Yorkshire.

Notable individuals with the surname HOOD throughout history include:

1. Thomas Hood (1799-1845), an English poet and author known for his works such as "The Song of the Shirt" and "The Bridge of Sighs."
2. Samuel Hood (1724-1816), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
3. John Bell Hood (1831-1879), a Confederate general during the American Civil War, known for his role in the Atlanta Campaign and the Franklin-Nashville Campaign.
4. Raymond M. Hood (1881-1934), an American architect best known for designing the iconic Rockefeller Center in New York City.
5. Andrew Hood (1775-1858), an American politician who served as the 6th Governor of Connecticut from 1835 to 1838.

The name HOOD has also been associated with various place names, such as Hood River in Oregon, named after a British sailor, and Hood County in Texas, named after the Confederate general John Bell Hood.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hood

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

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 Hood 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 Hood 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 Hood was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!