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

Hopkinson, 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 Hopkinson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hopkinson in America

Hopkinson is the 23065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hopkinson surname appeared 1,108 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 Hopkinson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hopkinson 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 Hopkinson

The surname Hopkinson is of English origin, originating in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "hop" meaning a small valley or hollow, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, essentially referring to a settlement situated in a small valley or hollow.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it appears as "Hoppkynson" and "Hopkynson." This suggests that the name had already been established and in use by the 14th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several places with names similar to Hopkinson, such as Hopetun in Bedfordshire and Hoppertone in Wiltshire, indicating that the name may have originated from these or similar place names.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was William Hopkinson, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1292.

In the 16th century, the Hopkinson family held lands in the parish of Denton, near Manchester, where they were influential landowners and prominent members of the local community.

Notable individuals with the surname include:

1. John Hopkinson (1610-1680), an English mathematician and academic who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

2. Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791), an American author, composer, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

3. Benjamin Hopkinson (1854-1918), a British engineer and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of stress and strain in materials.

4. Sir Alfred Hopkinson (1851-1939), a British civil engineer and pioneer in the field of hydraulic engineering, known for his work on the Manchester Ship Canal.

5. Ralph Hopkinson (1915-1999), a British actor and playwright best known for his roles in television series such as "The Avengers" and "Upstairs, Downstairs."

The Hopkinson surname has been well-established in various parts of England, particularly in the northern counties, and has been carried to other parts of the world through emigration, particularly to the United States and other English-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hopkinson

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

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

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

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