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

Hornby, 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 Hornby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hornby in America

Hornby is the 31587th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hornby surname appeared 732 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 Hornby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hornby 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 Hornby

The surname Hornby has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Lancashire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hyrne" meaning a nook or corner, and "by" meaning a farm or village. Thus, Hornby likely referred to a settlement or village located in a secluded or corner-like area.

The earliest known recorded mention of the surname Hornby dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1188. These were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer, which documented financial transactions and property holdings.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is a reference to a place called "Horedenebi" in Yorkshire, which is thought to be an early spelling variant of Hornby. This suggests that the name and its associated settlements have existed since before the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Hornby was Sir John Hornby, who lived in the late 14th century and was a Member of Parliament for Lancashire in 1388. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Hornby, a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century and was involved in several significant battles against the French and Spanish fleets.

In the literary world, Charles Harry St. John Hornby (1867-1946) was a British author and teacher who wrote several books on education and philosophy. He founded the Hornby Schools in England, which were influential in promoting progressive educational methods.

A more recent figure was Sir Michael Hornby (1920-2004), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 1975 to 1979. He played a pivotal role in strengthening diplomatic relations between the UK and the Gulf region.

The surname Hornby has also been associated with various place names, primarily in northern England. For example, the village of Hornby in Lancashire, which dates back to the Domesday Book, and the town of Hornby on the Isle of Man, which likely derived its name from Viking settlers with connections to the English Hornby.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hornby

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

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

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

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