Horrocks
Derived from a place name meaning "dirty or muddy rocks" in Old English.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,016 Americans carry the last name Horrocks. That puts it at #12,072 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,645 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Horrocks surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
3.0K
1 in 113,645
Census rank
#12,072
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,583 bearers of the surname Horrocks in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12072nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Horrocks, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Horrocks
The surname Horrocks is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "horu" meaning dirt or mud, and "occa" referring to a ridge or hill. It is believed to have originated in the Lancashire region of England during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Horrocks can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332, where it appears as "Horroks". This suggests that the name had already been established in the area by the 14th century.
The Horrocks name is also mentioned in the Register of the Gild of the Holy Trinity in Coventry from 1392, indicating that members of the family had migrated to other parts of England by the late Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, the Horrocks surname appears in various records, including the Feet of Fines for Lancashire from 1557, where it is spelled "Horrokes". This document refers to land transactions involving individuals with the Horrocks name.
One notable individual with the Horrocks surname was Thomas Horrocks (c. 1530-1589), a Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs.
In the 17th century, the Horrocks family continued to be prominent in Lancashire. John Horrocks (1619-1677) was a mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of the transit of Venus across the sun.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Horrocks name spread further throughout England and beyond. Samuel Horrocks (1768-1848) was a successful textile manufacturer and mill owner in Preston, Lancashire, who played a role in the industrialization of the region.
Another notable figure was James Horrocks (1819-1887), a British army officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in battle.
Peter Horrocks (1942-2019) was a British journalist and television executive who served as the director of the BBC World Service and the head of the BBC's newsroom in later years.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the Horrocks surname, which has its roots in the medieval Lancashire region of England and has since spread across the English-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Horrocks
Among Census respondents with the surname Horrocks, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Horrocks bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Horrocks surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3%
- Hispanic or Latino1.9%
- Two or more races0.7%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4%
- Black or African American0.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Horrocks surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,981 | #12,072 | -0.8% |
| Count | 2,392 | 2,583 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.88 | -1.1% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Horrocks bearers went from 2,392 to 2,583 (+8.0% change). The surname moved down 91 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,981 to #12,072.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Horrocks
FAQ
Horrocks surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Horrocks?
The surname Horrocks holds position #12,072 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 3,016 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Horrocks surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Horrocks, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (0.7%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.