2000
#10,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,839
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Hosier
An occupational surname referring to one who made or sold stockings and socks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,636 Americans carry the last name Hosier. That puts it at #12,791 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hosier 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hosier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,028
Census rank
#12,791
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,299 bearers of the surname Hosier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12791st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hosier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hosier
The surname Hosier is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old French word "hoisier," which means a hosier or a maker and seller of hose (stockings or tights). The name is closely related to the Old English word "hosan," meaning hose or stockings.
The surname Hosier was initially found in London and the surrounding areas, where the hosiers' trade was concentrated. In the medieval period, hosiers were skilled craftsmen who produced and sold hose, which were essential garments for both men and women.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hosier appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a Hugo le Hossyer is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were a series of administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I.
In the 14th century, the name Hosier appears in the Patent Rolls of 1361, where a John Hosyer is recorded as receiving a royal pardon. The Patent Rolls were official records of the English Crown, documenting grants, commissions, and other legal instruments.
During the 16th century, the surname Hosier was found in various parts of England, including London, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. One notable individual from this period was William Hosier (c. 1510-1588), a mercer and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
In the 17th century, the name Hosier gained prominence with Sir Francis Hosier (1665-1727), an English naval officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession. He is remembered for his failed attempt to capture Porto Bello in Panama, which led to his death and the loss of many lives due to disease.
Another notable figure from the 18th century was Admiral Sir Edward Hosier (1694-1755), who was a British naval officer and Member of Parliament. He served in the Royal Navy and was involved in various naval campaigns during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.
In the 19th century, the surname Hosier continued to be found in various parts of England, with instances of the name appearing in records from Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. One notable individual from this period was Henry Hosier (1840-1916), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.
While the surname Hosier has its origins in the hosiers' trade, it has since become a widespread surname found in various parts of the English-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hosier
Among Census respondents with the surname Hosier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hosier 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 Hosier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 2,074
- Two or more races3.6% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 65
- Black or African American1.9% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hosier
Hosier 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
#10,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,104
+265 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 24 places
2020
#12,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,299
-805 bearers (-25.9%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 2,411 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,404 | 2,839 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,380 | 3,104 | 1.05 | +265 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 24 places |
| 2020 | #12,791 | 2,299 | 0.77 | -805 bearers (-25.9%) | Down 2,411 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 Hosier 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 | #10,380 | #12,791 | -23.2% |
| Count | 3,104 | 2,299 | -25.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 0.77 | -26.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hosier bearers went from 3,104 to 2,299 (-25.9% change). The surname moved down 2,411 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,380 to #12,791.
FAQ
Hosier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hosier?
Name Census estimates that about 2,636 living Americans carry the surname Hosier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,028 residents.
How common is Hosier?
Hosier ranks #12,791 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,299 people with the surname Hosier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hosier.
Has Hosier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hosier went from 3,104 recorded bearers to 2,299. That is a decrease of 805 (-25.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,380 to #12,791.
What does the Census say about the background of Hosier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hosier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Hosier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (2,074 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hosier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Hosier (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 Hosier mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who made or sold stockings and socks. 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 Hosier (0.77 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 Americans have the surname Hosier?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.