2000
#14,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,887
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Hotz
A topographic surname derived from the German word "Holz" referring to a wooded area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,265 Americans carry the last name Hotz. That puts it at #14,514 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,326 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hotz 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
2.3K
1 in 151,326
Census rank
#14,514
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,975 bearers of the surname Hotz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14514th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hotz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hotz
The surname Hotz has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Hotz" or "Hütz," which referred to a small hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive term for someone who lived near or on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hotz can be found in the medieval German records from the town of Nuremberg, where a Johannes Hotz is mentioned in 1376. This indicates that the name was already established in this region during the Late Middle Ages.
As the name spread across German-speaking areas, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Hotz, Hotze, Hotzmann, and Hotzenplotz. These variations often arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices at the time.
The name Hotz also appears to have been associated with certain place names in Germany. For instance, the village of Hützen in the state of Hesse is believed to have derived its name from a similar root, suggesting a potential connection to the surname.
Notable individuals who bore the surname Hotz include Johann Hotz (1575-1645), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg, and Johann Jakob Hotz (1661-1719), a Swiss painter and engraver who worked in Italy and France.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Hotz was Johann Baptist Hotz (1808-1874), an Austrian Catholic theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen.
Another notable bearer of the name was Hans Hotz (1892-1975), a Swiss architect and urban planner who made significant contributions to the development of modern residential and urban planning in Switzerland.
The surname Hotz can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, indicating that it may have been carried by German immigrants to these regions over the centuries.
Overall, the surname Hotz has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with its origins dating back to the medieval period. It has been associated with various occupations and professions, from artists and musicians to theologians and architects, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who have borne this name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hotz
Among Census respondents with the surname Hotz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hotz 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 Hotz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 1,801
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 88
- Two or more races3.2% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hotz
Hotz 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
#16,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,773
-114 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 1,774 places
2020
#14,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,975
+202 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 1,751 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,491 | 1,887 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,265 | 1,773 | 0.60 | -114 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 1,774 places |
| 2020 | #14,514 | 1,975 | 0.66 | +202 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 1,751 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 Hotz 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 | #16,265 | #14,514 | 10.8% |
| Count | 1,773 | 1,975 | 11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.66 | 10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hotz bearers went from 1,773 to 1,975 (+11.4% change). The surname moved up 1,751 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,265 to #14,514.
FAQ
Hotz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hotz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,265 living Americans carry the surname Hotz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,326 residents.
How common is Hotz?
Hotz ranks #14,514 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,975 people with the surname Hotz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,265), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hotz.
Has Hotz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hotz went from 1,773 recorded bearers to 1,975. That is an increase of 202 (+11.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,265 to #14,514.
What does the Census say about the background of Hotz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hotz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Hotz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (1,801 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hotz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Hotz (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 Hotz mean?
A topographic surname derived from the German word "Holz" referring to a wooded area. 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 Hotz (0.66 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 last name Hotz?
You can see how common the surname Hotz is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.