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

Hooker, 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 Hooker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hooker in America

Hooker is the 2185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hooker surname appeared 16,646 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Hooker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hooker 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 Hooker

The surname Hooker originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'hoc', meaning hook, and referred to a maker or seller of hooks used for various purposes, such as fishing or fastening objects together.

The earliest known record of the surname Hooker dates back to the 13th century, with Robert le Hokere appearing in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk in 1273. Another early reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, mentioning a John le Hokere.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Hoker, Hokere, and Hooker, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. One notable example is Richard Hooker (1554-1600), an influential Anglican theologian and author of the influential work "Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity".

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hooker surname gained prominence, with several individuals making significant contributions to various fields. One such figure was Thomas Hooker (1586-1647), a Puritan colonial leader and the founder of the Colony of Connecticut. Another notable Hooker was Sir William Hooker (1785-1865), a renowned botanist and the first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The surname also has ties to specific locations, such as Hooker's Green in Oxfordshire, which likely derived its name from individuals bearing the surname Hooker residing in the area.

Other notable individuals with the surname Hooker include Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911), a renowned botanist and explorer who succeeded his father, Sir William Hooker, as the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; and Tom Hooker (1765-1829), an American pioneer and one of the founders of the city of Cincinnati, Ohio.

While the surname Hooker originated as an occupational name, it has since become a well-established surname with a rich history and numerous notable bearers across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hooker

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

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

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

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