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

Hotchkiss, 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 Hotchkiss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hotchkiss in America

Hotchkiss is the 6079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hotchkiss surname appeared 5,639 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hotchkiss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hotchkiss 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 Hotchkiss

The surname Hotchkiss is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hoc" meaning "hook" and "hyss" meaning "wood" or "thicket." It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a hooked or curved area of woodland.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Hotchkiss dates back to the 13th century in Essex, England. In the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, there is a reference to a Thomas de Hochekys.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Hochekys, Hochekisse, and Hockekys, reflecting the diverse pronunciations and scribal variations common at the time.

While the Hotchkiss surname is not found in the Domesday Book of 1086, it is likely that the name emerged in the centuries following the Norman Conquest, as many English surnames developed from descriptive nicknames or references to geographic features.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Hotchkiss (c. 1390-1456), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Essex. His descendants continued to hold significant estates in the county for several generations.

Another historical figure was Edward Hotchkiss (1617-1690), one of the early settlers of the Connecticut Colony in America. He was among the founders of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Hotchkiss (1736-1808) was a notable American inventor and gunsmith from Connecticut. He is credited with developing several improvements to firearms during the Revolutionary War era.

During the 19th century, Benjamin B. Hotchkiss (1801-1885) was a prominent American industrialist and inventor from Connecticut. He founded the Hotchkiss Gun Company, which produced the Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon, a significant advancement in ordnance technology.

Other notable individuals with the Hotchkiss surname include Sir Edmund Hotchkiss (1885-1967), a British naval officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, and Gail Hotchkiss (1912-2001), an American playwright and screenwriter known for her work on the film "The Member of the Wedding."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hotchkiss

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

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

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

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