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

Hosea, 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 Hosea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hosea in America

Hosea is the 14783rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hosea surname appeared 2,008 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hosea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hosea 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 Hosea

The surname Hosea has its origins traced back to ancient Israel, originating as a Hebrew name meaning "salvation" or "deliverance." It is derived from the biblical prophet Hosea, whose name is mentioned in the Book of Hosea in the Old Testament.

Hosea is believed to have been a common name among the Israelites during the 8th century BCE. The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the 12th century CE in England, where it was likely brought by Jewish settlers or pilgrims from the Holy Land.

In England, the name Hosea was initially recorded as Osee or Osse, reflecting the pronunciation of the Hebrew name. Over time, the spelling evolved to Hosea, which became more commonly used by the 16th century.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Hosea was Sir John Hosea, a prominent English merchant and diplomat who lived in the late 14th century. He served as a representative for King Edward III in negotiations with the Hanseatic League.

Another notable figure was Thomas Hosea (c. 1530-1587), an English Protestant reformer and theologian. He was a renowned scholar and author who contributed to the translation of the Geneva Bible.

In the 17th century, the surname Hosea appeared in historical records in the American colonies. One noteworthy individual was Hosea Hubbard (1652-1704), a settler in Massachusetts and a prominent figure in the early history of the town of Sunderland.

The name Hosea also has connections to various place names in England, such as Hosea Green in Staffordshire and Hosea Hill in Worcestershire, suggesting the surname may have been derived from geographic locations as well.

Other notable individuals with the surname Hosea include:

1. Hosea Ballou (1771-1852), an American Universalist minister and influential theologian.
2. Hosea Stout (1810-1889), a Mormon pioneer and military leader in Utah.
3. Hosea Quinby (1805-1894), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire.
4. Hosea Merrimon (1830-1901), a Confederate soldier and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina.
5. Hosea Wilby (1779-1854), an English engineer and inventor known for developing the first successful water turbine.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hosea

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

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

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

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