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

Horlback, 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 Horlback surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Horlback in America

Horlback is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Horlback surname appeared 138 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 Horlback.

We can also compare 2010 data for Horlback 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 Horlback

The surname Horlback originates from the northern regions of Germany, and its roots can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "horl," which means "hillock" or "mound," and "back," referring to a stream or brook. This suggests that the name was initially given to families residing near a hillock by a stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Horlback can be found in the village records of Hesse, Germany, from the year 1487. These records mention a farmer named Hans Horlback, who owned a modest plot of land near the banks of the River Fulda. The name's spelling has undergone minor variations over the centuries, with instances of "Horlbeck" and "Horlbak" appearing in various historical documents.

In the 16th century, the Horlback name gained prominence in the town of Marburg, where a family of tanners and leather workers bore this surname. The Marburg town annals from 1563 mention a prominent citizen named Konrad Horlback, who served as a member of the town council and contributed significantly to the local leather trade.

During the 17th century, the Horlback name spread to other regions of Germany, and by the late 1600s, it had made its way to the neighboring Netherlands. In 1692, a Dutch merchant named Pieter Horlback established a successful trading company in Amsterdam, dealing in goods from the German states.

As the Horlback family dispersed across Europe, several notable individuals carried this surname. One such figure was Johann Horlback (1723-1798), a celebrated composer and organist from Leipzig, whose works were widely performed during the Baroque era. Another prominent Horlback was Friedrich Horlback (1788-1861), a renowned German botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and classification.

The 19th century saw the Horlback name spread further afield, with records indicating families bearing this surname in parts of Austria, Switzerland, and even as far as Russia. In 1845, a Russian army officer named Ivan Horlback distinguished himself in the Crimean War, earning recognition for his bravery on the battlefield.

While the Horlback surname may have originated in a specific region of Germany, its legacy has transcended borders and centuries, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark across various fields and cultures throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Horlback

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

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

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

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