2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hotch
A habitational surname derived from the Anglo-Norman French place name Hoche or Hochia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Hotch. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hotch 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Hotch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hotch, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (29.6%) and Two or More Races (13.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hotch
The surname Hotch is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hocce," which means "a hook" or "a crooked object." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had a distinctive physical feature, such as a hooked nose or a hunched back.
The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Hotch can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hocce." This ancient record provides valuable insight into the distribution of surnames in England during the 11th century, indicating that the name was present in various regions of the country.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Hotch was Robert Hotch, who lived in Oxfordshire in the late 13th century. Historical records from that time also mention a William Hotch, who resided in Gloucestershire around the same period.
During the 14th century, the surname underwent some variations in spelling, with forms such as "Hotche" and "Hoche" appearing in various records. This was common practice in those times, as standardized spelling was not yet established.
In the 16th century, the name Hotch gained prominence with the birth of Sir Thomas Hotch (1525-1596), a renowned English scholar and philosopher. He was widely celebrated for his contributions to the field of philosophy and his influential writings on ethics and morality.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Hotch was Elizabeth Hotch (1670-1742), a pioneering botanist from Warwickshire. She is credited with the discovery and classification of several plant species native to the British Isles.
The 18th century saw the rise of James Hotch (1725-1802), a prominent industrialist from Lancashire who played a significant role in the development of the textile manufacturing industry in England during the Industrial Revolution.
In the 19th century, the name Hotch appeared in various place names, such as Hotchgate, a small village in Hertfordshire, and Hotchcroft, a hamlet located in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the influence of families bearing the Hotch name in those areas.
Throughout its history, the surname Hotch has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, contributing to the rich tapestry of English cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hotch
Among Census respondents with the surname Hotch, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (29.6%) and Two or More Races (13.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hotch 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 Hotch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native52.2% · 60
- White29.6% · 34
- Two or more races13.0% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hotch
Hotch 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,791 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,791 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Hotch 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 | #140,157 | #145,757 | -4.0% |
| Count | 119 | 115 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hotch bearers went from 119 to 115 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #145,757.
FAQ
Hotch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hotch?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Hotch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Hotch?
Hotch ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Hotch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hotch.
Has Hotch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hotch went from 119 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Hotch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hotch, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (29.6%) and Two or More Races (13.0%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hotch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.2% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hotch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (52.2%), White (29.6%), Two or More Races (13.0%). 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 Hotch (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 Hotch mean?
A habitational surname derived from the Anglo-Norman French place name Hoche or Hochia. 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 Hotch (0.04 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 people have the surname Hotch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.