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

Hoskins, 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 Hoskins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hoskins in America

Hoskins is the 1449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hoskins surname appeared 24,581 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Hoskins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hoskins 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 Hoskins

The surname Hoskins is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hose" meaning "hose" or "stocking" and the diminutive suffix "-kin," essentially meaning "little hose." The name likely originated as an occupational surname for a maker or seller of hose or stockings during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 13th century, with mentions of individuals bearing variations of the name such as Hosakyn and Hosekyn appearing in tax rolls and legal documents from counties like Somerset and Gloucestershire.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners in England, there is an entry for a Richard Hosekyn in Huntingdonshire. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John Hosakyn from Worcestershire.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Hoskins was John Hoskins, a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London, who lived from around 1470 to 1538.

Another notable historical figure with the Hoskins surname was Sir John Hoskins (1566-1638), a Member of Parliament and one of the leaders of the Virginia Company, which established the first English settlements in North America.

In the 17th century, John Hoskins (1598-1664) was an English composer and lutenist who served as a court musician to King Charles I and later became a member of the prestigious King's Musick under Charles II.

During the 18th century, Gideon Hoskins (1722-1781) was a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including a book titled "The Life of Christ" published in 1761.

In the 19th century, Sir Anthony Hoskins (1828-1901) was a British lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of England and Wales from 1885 to 1886.

Over time, variations of the spelling emerged, such as Hoskin, Hoskyns, and Hosken, with the latter form being more prevalent in Cornwall and parts of the West Country of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hoskins

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

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

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

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