2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hougaard
A Danish surname meaning "high guard" or "tall guardian".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 162 Americans carry the last name Hougaard. That puts it at #127,013 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,115,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hougaard 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
162
1 in 2,115,768
Census rank
#127,013
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
141
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 141 bearers of the surname Hougaard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 127013th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hougaard, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hougaard
The surname Hougaard is of Danish origin, originating in the 16th century. It is derived from the Old Danish words "hog" meaning hill or mound, and "gaard" meaning farm or estate. The name likely referred to someone who lived on or near a farm situated on a hill or mound.
The earliest known records of the Hougaard surname date back to the late 16th century in the Danish parish records of Skibby and Ørslev on the island of Zealand. These records mention individuals such as Niels Hougaard, born in 1582, and Jens Hougaard, born in 1597.
In the 17th century, the name began to appear in other parts of Denmark, such as Jutland and the island of Funen. Historical records from this period include the birth of Maren Hougaard in 1621 in Odense, Funen, and the marriage of Peder Hougaard and Karen Nielsdatter in 1639 in Ribe, Jutland.
One notable Hougaard from history is the Danish painter and illustrator Hagen Hougaard, who lived from 1857 to 1924. He is known for his landscapes and illustrations of Danish folklore and fairy tales. Another significant figure was the Danish politician and lawyer Hans Hougaard, who served as Minister of Justice from 1901 to 1908.
The Hougaard surname has also been found in other Scandinavian countries, likely due to migration from Denmark. In Sweden, records show the birth of Nils Hougaard in 1675 in Malmö. In Norway, the name is sometimes spelled Hogaard, with examples such as Ole Hogaard, born in 1742 in Trondheim.
Other notable individuals with the Hougaard surname include the Danish composer and organist Jørgen Hougaard (1820-1895), known for his church music compositions, and the Norwegian writer and journalist Edvard Hougaard (1837-1912), who wrote extensively about Norwegian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hougaard
Among Census respondents with the surname Hougaard, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hougaard 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 Hougaard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 125
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 7
- Two or more races2.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hougaard
Hougaard 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
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,320 places
2020
#127,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+22 bearers (+18.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 13,144 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 4,320 places |
| 2020 | #127,013 | 141 | 0.05 | +22 bearers (+18.5%) | Up 13,144 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 Hougaard 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 | #127,013 | 9.4% |
| Count | 119 | 141 | 18.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 17.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hougaard bearers went from 119 to 141 (+18.5% change). The surname moved up 13,144 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #127,013.
FAQ
Hougaard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hougaard?
Name Census estimates that about 162 living Americans carry the surname Hougaard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,115,768 residents.
How common is Hougaard?
Hougaard ranks #127,013 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 141 people with the surname Hougaard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (162), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Hougaard.
Has Hougaard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hougaard went from 119 recorded bearers to 141. That is an increase of 22 (+18.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #140,157 to #127,013.
What does the Census say about the background of Hougaard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hougaard, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Hougaard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (125 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hougaard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Hougaard (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 Hougaard mean?
A Danish surname meaning "high guard" or "tall guardian". 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 Hougaard (0.05 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 common is the surname Hougaard?
Want to know how many people have the last name Hougaard? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.