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

Hookfin, 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 Hookfin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hookfin in America

Hookfin is the 60347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hookfin surname appeared 334 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hookfin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hookfin 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 Hookfin

The surname "HOOKFIN" is believed to have originated in the Dutch region of the Netherlands during the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "hoek" meaning "hook" and "vin" meaning "fin," likely referring to a person who worked as a fisherman or in a trade related to fishing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a Dutch census record from the year 1587, where a certain Pieter Hookfin is listed as a resident of the town of Volendam, a fishing village located on the Markermeer lake. The name may have been coined as a descriptive nickname for someone who excelled at catching fish with hooks or who had a distinctive hooked fin-shaped physical feature.

In the 17th century, the name appears in several maritime records and ship manifests, indicating that those bearing the name were often involved in seafaring and fishing activities. One notable example is Dirk Hookfin, a Dutch whaler born in 1645, who is mentioned in the logbooks of several whaling expeditions to the Arctic regions between 1670 and 1685.

The name later spread to other parts of Europe and the British Isles, likely through the migration of Dutch settlers and traders. In the late 18th century, a branch of the Hookfin family can be traced to the coastal town of Whitby in Yorkshire, England, where they were engaged in the local fishing and shipbuilding industries.

A prominent figure with the surname was Willem Hookfin (1795-1872), a Dutch naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the East Indies and the Pacific Ocean in the early 19th century. His detailed journal accounts and maps of the islands he visited contributed significantly to the advancement of cartography and navigation during that era.

Another noteworthy individual was Margaretha Hookfin (1820-1891), a Dutch writer and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education reform in the Netherlands. Her influential works, including the novel "De Vrouw en Haar Bestemming" (The Woman and Her Destiny), played a crucial role in shaping the early feminist movement in her country.

Overall, the surname "HOOKFIN" has a rich maritime and fishing-related history, originating from the Dutch coastal regions and eventually spreading to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals who often pursued seafaring and maritime professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hookfin

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

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

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

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