2000
#12,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,223
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Hornbuckle
A surname derived from a maker or seller of horn belt buckles or horn-tipped staff handles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,389 Americans carry the last name Hornbuckle. That puts it at #13,883 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,472 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hornbuckle 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hornbuckle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 143,472
Census rank
#13,883
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,083 bearers of the surname Hornbuckle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13883rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hornbuckle, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hornbuckle
The surname Hornbuckle is believed to have originated in England, likely in the northern counties, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from a combination of the Old English words "horn" and "bucc," meaning a male deer or buck. The suffix "le" was commonly added to place names and surnames during that time, indicating a location or origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire from 1184, where a Robert Hornebucle is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the English Midlands by the late 12th century.
The Hornbuckle surname may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent horn-shaped hill or a place where deer were abundant. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive nickname for someone who had a particular skill or occupation related to hunting deer.
In the 13th century, a John Hornebucle is recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, indicating the spread of the name to neighboring counties. The variant spelling "Hornbuckle" also appears in historical records from this period.
One notable bearer of the Hornbuckle name was Sir Thomas Hornbuckle, who served as a member of the English Parliament in the early 17th century. He was born in Lincolnshire in 1580 and played a role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
Another figure of historical significance was Richard Hornbuckle, a prominent merchant and landowner from Bristol, England, who lived from 1635 to 1704. He was involved in the lucrative trade with the American colonies and amassed considerable wealth.
In the 18th century, William Hornbuckle (1725-1792) was a noted architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
The Hornbuckle surname also spread to other parts of the British Isles, with records showing variations such as Hornibuckle and Hornibuckell in Scotland and Ireland.
Mary Hornbuckle (1756-1838), a writer and educator from Yorkshire, published several books on moral and religious topics, aimed at educating young women during the late Georgian era.
As the name spread and families migrated, the Hornbuckle surname eventually found its way to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where it continues to be found today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hornbuckle
Among Census respondents with the surname Hornbuckle, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hornbuckle 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 Hornbuckle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.9% · 1,436
- Black or African American16.9% · 353
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.2% · 108
- Two or more races5.0% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hornbuckle
Hornbuckle 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
#13,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,237
+14 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 809 places
2020
#13,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,083
-154 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 332 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,742 | 2,223 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,551 | 2,237 | 0.76 | +14 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 809 places |
| 2020 | #13,883 | 2,083 | 0.70 | -154 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 332 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 Hornbuckle 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 | #13,551 | #13,883 | -2.5% |
| Count | 2,237 | 2,083 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.70 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hornbuckle bearers went from 2,237 to 2,083 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 332 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,551 to #13,883.
FAQ
Hornbuckle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hornbuckle?
Name Census estimates that about 2,389 living Americans carry the surname Hornbuckle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,472 residents.
How common is Hornbuckle?
Hornbuckle ranks #13,883 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,083 people with the surname Hornbuckle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,389), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Hornbuckle.
Has Hornbuckle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hornbuckle went from 2,237 recorded bearers to 2,083. That is a decrease of 154 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,551 to #13,883.
What does the Census say about the background of Hornbuckle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hornbuckle, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%). 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 Hornbuckle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.9% (1,436 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hornbuckle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.9%), Black (16.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%). 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 Hornbuckle (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 Hornbuckle mean?
A surname derived from a maker or seller of horn belt buckles or horn-tipped staff handles. 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 Hornbuckle (0.70 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 Hornbuckle?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Hornbuckle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.