2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hooie
A Scottish surname possibly derived from a Scottish Gaelic word meaning "wooded hill" or "small clump of woods".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Hooie. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hooie 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Hooie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hooie, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hooie
The surname HOOIE has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic word "huamh," which means "cave" or "hollow." This suggests that the HOOIE family may have lived near or been associated with a cave or a hollow area in the Scottish Highlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HOOIE surname can be found in the Aberdeen Council Register from 1568, which mentions a "Robert Howye." This spelling variation highlights the influence of local dialects and the evolution of the name over time.
During the 17th century, the HOOIE name appeared in various records across Scotland. In 1623, a "William Howie" was listed in the parish records of Linlithgow. Additionally, in 1684, a "John Howyie" was mentioned in the Old Parochial Registers of Crieff, Perthshire.
In the 18th century, the HOOIE surname gained more prominence. One notable figure was Robert Howie (1737-1786), a Scottish minister and author who published several works, including "The Scots Worthies" and "Biographia Scoticana." He served as a minister in various parishes, including Fenwick and Cambuslang.
Another prominent individual with the HOOIE surname was James Howie (1796-1870), a Scottish minister and writer. He served as a minister in the Secession Church and later joined the Free Church of Scotland. Howie authored several religious works, including "The Scots Worthies" and "The Mother's Last Words."
In the 19th century, the HOOIE name continued to appear in various records. William Howie (1809-1872) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Glasgow City Chambers and the Western Infirmary.
The HOOIE surname has also been associated with place names in Scotland. For instance, the village of Howie in East Ayrshire is believed to have derived its name from the HOOIE family, who may have been landowners or residents in the area.
Throughout its history, the HOOIE surname has been documented with various spellings, such as Howie, Howye, Howyie, and Huie, reflecting the fluidity of surname spelling in earlier times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hooie
Among Census respondents with the surname Hooie, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hooie 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 Hooie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hooie
Hooie 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+12 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,143 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 9,143 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 Hooie 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 | #150,452 | #141,309 | 6.1% |
| Count | 109 | 121 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hooie bearers went from 109 to 121 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 9,143 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #141,309.
FAQ
Hooie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hooie?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Hooie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Hooie?
Hooie ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Hooie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Hooie.
Has Hooie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hooie went from 109 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 12 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Hooie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hooie, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Hooie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hooie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Hooie (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 Hooie mean?
A Scottish surname possibly derived from a Scottish Gaelic word meaning "wooded hill" or "small clump of woods". 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 Hooie (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 have the surname Hooie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.