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

Horner, 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 Horner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Horner in America

Horner is the 1500th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Horner surname appeared 23,881 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Horner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Horner 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 Horner

The surname Horner has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It derives from the Old English word "horn" or "hyrne," which referred to a horn or a hornblower. The name likely originated as an occupational name for someone who played the horn or made horns.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Horner can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a person named "Horner" living in Hertfordshire. Another early record is from the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, which include a reference to a "Horner" family.

In the 13th century, the surname Horner appeared in various forms, such as "Hornere" and "Hornor." These variations reflect the different spellings and pronunciations used in different regions of England at the time.

One notable individual with the surname Horner was Thomas Horner, a 15th-century English theologian and cleric who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1480 to 1494.

In the 16th century, the surname Horner was associated with a place name in Somerset, England, called "Horner." This connection suggests that some individuals with the surname may have derived their name from the location rather than the occupational origin.

In the 17th century, John Horner (1622-1683) was a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Wells, Somerset.

Another notable figure was Francis Horner (1778-1817), a Scottish lawyer, politician, and co-founder of the Edinburgh Review. He was a prominent Whig politician and played a significant role in the abolition of the slave trade.

In the 19th century, Leonard Horner (1785-1864) was a Scottish geologist and factory inspector who made significant contributions to the field of geology and advocated for improved working conditions in factories.

Throughout history, the surname Horner has been prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Hertfordshire, where it is believed to have originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Horner

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

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

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

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