2000
#2,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,659
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.32
Uncommon Last name
Hostetler
An occupational surname referring to an innkeeper or manager of a hostel or lodging house.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,416 Americans carry the last name Hostetler. That puts it at #2,208 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,612 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hostetler 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.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 18,612
Census rank
#2,208
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,060 bearers of the surname Hostetler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2208th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hostetler, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hostetler
The surname Hostetler has its origins in the German language, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to have originated in the region of modern-day Switzerland, where it was initially spelled as "Hostetler" or "Hostettler." The name is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "hostatt," meaning a farmstead or a small settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hostetler name can be found in the Rottweil city records from the 14th century, where a certain "Hans Hostettler" was mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use and established in the region during that time period.
As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Hostätter," "Hostater," and "Hostetteler." These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the individual preferences of record-keepers.
In the 16th century, the Hostetler family is known to have been established in the Alsace region of France, where they were involved in agricultural and viticultural activities. During this time, the name appeared in local tax records and land ownership documents.
One notable individual bearing the Hostetler surname was Johann Hostetler (1639-1719), a Swiss Anabaptist leader who emigrated to the United States in the late 17th century. He was among the first Amish settlers in the Pennsylvania colony and played a significant role in establishing the Amish community in North America.
Another prominent figure was David Hostetler (1784-1868), an American inventor and entrepreneur from Ohio. He is credited with inventing the first successful threshing machine, which revolutionized agricultural practices in the 19th century.
In the realm of literature, Herman Hostetler (1904-1987) was an American writer and poet known for his works capturing the rural life and traditions of the Amish community in Pennsylvania.
The Hostetler surname has also been associated with notable figures in academia and science. One such individual was John A. Hostetler (1918-2001), an anthropologist and author who specialized in the study of Amish and Hutterite communities.
Finally, mention should be made of Judith P. Hostetler (1916-1997), an American librarian and author who made significant contributions to the field of library science and children's literature.
Through the centuries, the Hostetler surname has maintained a strong connection to its German and Swiss roots, while also becoming well-established in various parts of the world, particularly in North America, where it has been associated with individuals from diverse walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hostetler
Among Census respondents with the surname Hostetler, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hostetler 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 Hostetler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 15,438
- Two or more races1.7% · 268
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 207
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 71
- Black or African American0.3% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hostetler
Hostetler 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
#2,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,505
+2,846 bearers (+24.4%)
Per 100,000 4.92
Rank movement Up 327 places
2020
#2,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,060
+1,555 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 5.37
Rank movement Up 282 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,817 | 11,659 | 4.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,490 | 14,505 | 4.92 | +2,846 bearers (+24.4%) | Up 327 places |
| 2020 | #2,208 | 16,060 | 5.37 | +1,555 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 282 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 Hostetler 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 | #2,490 | #2,208 | 11.3% |
| Count | 14,505 | 16,060 | 10.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.92 | 5.37 | 9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hostetler bearers went from 14,505 to 16,060 (+10.7% change). The surname moved up 282 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,490 to #2,208.
FAQ
Hostetler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hostetler?
Name Census estimates that about 18,416 living Americans carry the surname Hostetler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,612 residents.
How common is Hostetler?
Hostetler ranks #2,208 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,060 people with the surname Hostetler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,416), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Hostetler.
Has Hostetler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hostetler went from 14,505 recorded bearers to 16,060. That is an increase of 1,555 (+10.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,490 to #2,208.
What does the Census say about the background of Hostetler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hostetler, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Hostetler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (15,438 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hostetler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%), Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Hostetler (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 Hostetler mean?
An occupational surname referring to an innkeeper or manager of a hostel or lodging house. 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 Hostetler (5.37 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 Hostetler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.