2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hornseth
An English surname derived from a place name possibly meaning "horn-shaped promontory".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Hornseth. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hornseth 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Hornseth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hornseth, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hornseth
The surname Hornseth is believed to have originated in the northern regions of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "horn" and "seth," which together could mean "horn-dweller" or "person living near a horn-shaped hill or promontory."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hornseth can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Hornseth residing in the village of Farnham, located in the county of Yorkshire.
During the 13th century, records show a family named Hornseth residing in the village of Hornsea, which was once known as "Hornseth" or "Hornsethe," located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. This village's name is believed to have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Hornseth (c. 1310-1378) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of York. His name appears in several local historical records, including property deeds and tax rolls.
Another individual of note was Sir Robert Hornseth (c. 1420-1492), a knight who served in the Wars of the Roses. He is mentioned in chronicles of the time for his bravery and military exploits during the battles between the houses of York and Lancaster.
During the 16th century, the Hornseth name was also found in the county of Northumberland, where a family of that surname owned lands and properties in the village of Horncliffe, which was once known as "Hornseth-cliffe" or "Hornseth Cliff."
One significant figure from this era was Elizabeth Hornseth (c. 1550-1621), a renowned herbalist and apothecary who practiced in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her remedies and treatments were highly sought after, and she is mentioned in several contemporary accounts of the time.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Hornseth family was William Hornseth (c. 1625-1698), a prosperous merchant and ship owner based in the port city of Hull. He was involved in the lucrative trade routes between England and the Netherlands, and his name appears in various maritime records and trade documents from that period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hornseth
Among Census respondents with the surname Hornseth, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hornseth 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 Hornseth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 107
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hornseth
Hornseth 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,996 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+11 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 7,996 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 11,211 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 Hornseth 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 | #158,432 | #147,221 | 7.1% |
| Count | 102 | 113 | 10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hornseth bearers went from 102 to 113 (+10.8% change). The surname moved up 11,211 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #147,221.
FAQ
Hornseth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hornseth?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Hornseth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Hornseth?
Hornseth ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Hornseth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hornseth.
Has Hornseth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hornseth went from 102 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 11 (+10.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Hornseth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hornseth, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Hornseth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hornseth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Hornseth (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 Hornseth mean?
An English surname derived from a place name possibly meaning "horn-shaped promontory". 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 Hornseth (0.04 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 Hornseth?
Find out how many people have the last name Hornseth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.