2000
#12,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,211
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Hoops
An English toponymic surname derived from someone who lived near an enclosure or a valley surrounded by hills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,337 Americans carry the last name Hoops. That puts it at #14,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,664 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hoops 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
2.3K
1 in 146,664
Census rank
#14,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,038 bearers of the surname Hoops in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoops, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hoops
The surname Hoops is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hop," meaning a small enclosed valley or hollow. The name likely referred to someone who lived in or near such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Hoops can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1285, which mentions a William de la Hoppe. The "de la" prefix suggests the name was initially used as a descriptive identifier for a particular location.
By the 14th century, the surname had evolved into various spellings, including Hoppe, Hoppes, and Hoppes. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 record a John de la Hoppe in Oxfordshire, while the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 list a Walter Hoppe in Yorkshire.
In the 16th century, the surname began to take on its more modern spelling of "Hoops." The Subsidy Rolls of 1524 mention a John Hoppes in Staffordshire, and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1545 record a Thomas Hoppes in Warwickshire.
One notable individual with the surname Hoops was John Hoops (1642-1711), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Another was Robert Hoops (1765-1835), a Scottish lawyer and author who wrote extensively on the legal system in Scotland.
In the 19th century, the Hoops surname was associated with several notable figures. James Hoops (1804-1886) was an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. William Hoops (1830-1891) was an American industrialist and co-founder of the Hoops & Darlington Wire Company in Pennsylvania.
Other notable individuals with the surname Hoops include Wilfred Hoops (1888-1964), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, and John Hoops (1914-1994), an American football player and coach who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and later coached at the University of Pennsylvania.
While the surname Hoops is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, with roots in the geographical features of England and a scattered presence across various fields and professions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hoops
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoops, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hoops 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 Hoops surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,854
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 64
- Two or more races2.7% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hoops
Hoops appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,149
-62 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 1,225 places
2020
#14,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,038
-111 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,789 | 2,211 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,014 | 2,149 | 0.73 | -62 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,225 places |
| 2020 | #14,145 | 2,038 | 0.68 | -111 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 131 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 Hoops 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 | #14,014 | #14,145 | -0.9% |
| Count | 2,149 | 2,038 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.68 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hoops bearers went from 2,149 to 2,038 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 131 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,014 to #14,145.
FAQ
Hoops surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hoops?
Name Census estimates that about 2,337 living Americans carry the surname Hoops. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,664 residents.
How common is Hoops?
Hoops ranks #14,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,038 people with the surname Hoops. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hoops.
Has Hoops become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hoops went from 2,149 recorded bearers to 2,038. That is a decrease of 111 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,014 to #14,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Hoops?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoops, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Hoops in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,854 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hoops appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Hoops (2000, 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 Hoops mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from someone who lived near an enclosure or a valley surrounded by hills. 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 Hoops (0.68 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 last name Hoops?
You can see how many people have the surname Hoops on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.