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

Hornbeck, 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 Hornbeck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hornbeck in America

Hornbeck is the 10046th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hornbeck surname appeared 3,206 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hornbeck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hornbeck 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 Hornbeck

The surname Hornbeck has its roots in the German language and is believed to have originated in the regions of Germany and the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old German words "horn" meaning "horn" and "beck" meaning "brook" or "stream." It is likely that the name was originally a descriptive one, referring to a person who lived near a small stream or brook with a bend resembling a horn.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hornbeck surname can be found in the German city of Cologne in the 13th century. A document from 1274 mentions a "Johannes von Hornbeck," suggesting that the name was already established in the region at that time. In the Netherlands, the name is sometimes spelled as "Hornbek" or "Hornbeek," reflecting the regional variations in language and dialect.

The Hornbeck surname also appears in historical records from the Low Countries, particularly in the areas that are now part of Belgium and the Netherlands. During the 16th and 17th centuries, many Hornbecks were among the Protestant Reformers who fled religious persecution and sought refuge in nearby regions or in the Americas.

One notable individual bearing the Hornbeck surname was Johannes Hornbeck (1625-1666), a Dutch theologian and professor at the University of Leiden. He was a prominent figure in the Reformed Church and authored several influential works on theology and doctrine.

Another noteworthy Hornbeck was Philipp Hornbeck (1638-1696), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector Palatine in Heidelberg. His compositions for organ and harpsichord were highly regarded during his lifetime.

In the United States, the Hornbeck surname can be traced back to the early colonial period, with several immigrants arriving from Germany and the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Adam Hornbeck, who settled in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s.

Jacob Hornbeck (1751-1832) was a soldier and farmer from Pennsylvania who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Brandywine and the Battle of Germantown.

Another prominent figure was John Hornbeck (1820-1895), a businessman and politician from Ohio who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives in the late 19th century.

While the Hornbeck surname has its origins in Europe, it has since spread across the globe, with descendants bearing the name found in various countries and cultures. Despite its widespread distribution, the name retains its connection to its historical roots in the linguistic and geographic regions of Germany and the Netherlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hornbeck

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

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

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

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