Hopson last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Hopson

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Hob, a medieval diminutive of Robert, meaning "bright fame."

Hopson, 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 Hopson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hopson in America

Hopson is the 2946th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hopson surname appeared 12,180 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Hopson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hopson 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2946 2748 6.95%
Count 12,180 12,050 1.07%
Proportion per 100k 4.13 4.47 -7.91%

The history of the last name Hopson

The surname Hopson is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hop" and "sunu," meaning "son of the hop grower" or "son of the hop seller." This occupational surname first emerged in the late 12th century in regions of England where hop cultivation was common, such as Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hopson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1195, where a certain William Hopson is mentioned as a taxpayer. The surname also appears in the Assize Rolls of Kent from 1265, referencing a Thomas Hopson residing in the county.

During the medieval period, the name was sometimes spelled variations such as Hopesone, Hopsun, and Hopsoun, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions at the time. It is believed that the Hopson family may have been among the early settlers in the village of Hopesay in Shropshire, which likely derived its name from the Old English words "hop" and "sæte," meaning "hop settlers."

Notable individuals with the surname Hopson throughout history include:

  1. John Hopson (c. 1510-1580), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich.
  2. Ralph Hopson (c. 1570-1632), an English composer and lutenist known for his contributions to the English madrigal tradition.
  3. William Hopson (1787-1853), an American educator and minister who established the Hopson Academy in Milledgeville, Georgia, one of the first schools for girls in the state.
  4. Mary Hopson (1849-1927), an American educator and activist who founded the Hopson's Labor College in Knoxville, Tennessee, which aimed to provide educational opportunities for working-class individuals.
  5. George Hopson (1876-1949), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former Savoy Theatre and the Gaiety Theatre.

While the origins of the Hopson surname can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hopson

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

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 Hopson was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 51.75% 6,303
Non-Hispanic Black Only 41.57% 5,063
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.30% 37
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 1.67% 203
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.85% 347
Hispanic Origin 1.86% 227

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 Hopson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 51.75% 55.77% -7.48%
Black 41.57% 38.99% 6.41%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.30% 0.36% -18.18%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 1.67% 1.62% 3.04%
Two or More Races 2.85% 2.05% 32.65%
Hispanic 1.86% 1.22% 41.56%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Hopson last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 4, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/hopson-surname-popularity/.

"Hopson last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/hopson-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 December, 2024

Hopson last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/hopson-surname-popularity/.

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