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

Horst, 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 Horst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Horst in America

Horst is the 3831st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Horst surname appeared 9,245 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Horst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Horst 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 Horst

The surname Horst originated in Germany and is derived from the Old German words "hurst" or "horst," meaning a small wooded hill or a thicket of trees. It is believed to have been used as a topographic name for someone who lived near or on a small wooded hill or a thicket.

The earliest known record of the surname Horst dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts from regions such as Saxony, Westphalia, and the Rhineland. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Henricus de Horst, who was mentioned in records from Cologne in 1275, and Conradus Horst, who was recorded in the town of Quedlinburg in 1292.

Over time, the surname Horst also became associated with various place names, such as Horst in the Netherlands, Horst in Saxony-Anhalt, and Horst in North Rhine-Westphalia, among others. The name was also found in various spellings, including Horste, Horsten, and Horster.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname Horst. One of the earliest recorded was Johann Horst (c. 1370-1428), a German theologian and philosopher who served as the rector of the University of Heidelberg. Another prominent bearer of the name was Pieter Horst (1516-1567), a Dutch painter and engraver who was known for his religious and mythological works.

In the 19th century, the name gained further prominence with individuals such as Jacobus Marinus van der Horst (1835-1904), a Dutch politician and Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1891 to 1894, and Gregor Ferdinand Horst (1805-1876), a German jurist and politician who served as the Minister of Justice for Prussia.

Another notable figure was Herman Horst (1886-1967), a Dutch-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in New York City, including the Raleigh Hotel and the Knickerbocker Hotel. Additionally, Janny ter Horst (1911-1943) was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II who was executed by the Nazi regime for her involvement in the Dutch resistance movement.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Horst throughout history, highlighting its rich heritage and diverse geographic origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Horst

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

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

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

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