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

Hosmer, 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 Hosmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hosmer in America

Hosmer is the 11899th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hosmer surname appeared 2,631 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 Hosmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hosmer 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 Hosmer

The surname Hosmer has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "hos" meaning a hose or covering for the leg, and "mere" meaning a pool or lake, suggesting that the name may have originated from a place near a body of water where hoses or stockings were made.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, where a person named Hugo Hosmer is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, referring to a place called "Hosemere."

In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as "Hosemere" and "Hosemare," further reinforcing its connection to a place name. These early spellings indicate that the name may have evolved from a location where hosiery was produced or where people engaged in the trade of making hose or stockings.

Notable bearers of the Hosmer surname include Sir Edmund Hosmer (1478-1542), a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire in the 16th century. Another prominent figure was James Hosmer (1582-1638), a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635.

In the United States, Titus Hosmer (1736-1780) was a notable figure during the American Revolutionary War, serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Continental Army. He was killed in action during the Battle of Ridgefield in 1777.

Harriet Hosmer (1830-1908) was a renowned American sculptor from Massachusetts, known for her neoclassical works such as "Beatrice Cenci" and "Zenobia in Chains." She was one of the first professional female sculptors to gain international recognition.

Another notable bearer of the name was James Hosmer (1833-1927), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who later served as a Congressman from Connecticut from 1875 to 1877.

While the surname Hosmer has evolved over centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and a possible connection to a place name associated with the production of hose or stockings near a body of water.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hosmer

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

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

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

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