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

Hour, 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 Hour surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hour in America

Hour is the 81458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hour surname appeared 232 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hour.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hour 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 Hour

The surname "HOUR" is believed to have originated in England during the 13th century. It was likely derived from the Old English word "horu," meaning "muddy or dirty place." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a muddy or swampy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a John le Hore residing in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation, "le Hore," further supports the theory that the name originated from the Old English word "horu."

Another historical reference to the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a Robert le Hour is listed as a resident of Cambridgeshire. This spelling, "le Hour," is even closer to the modern version of the surname.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Houre," "Howr," and "Hower," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John Hour, a landowner who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 14th century. Records from that time indicate that he owned substantial properties in the village of Stow-on-the-Wold.

During the 16th century, the name began to take on its modern spelling of "HOUR." One notable individual from this period was William Hour, a merchant from Bristol, who was active in the city's thriving wool trade in the early 1500s.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Edward Hour (1612-1679), a prominent Puritan minister who served as the rector of St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate in London.

Another significant figure was Sir Richard Hour (1654-1718), a Member of Parliament for the borough of Ipswich in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable bearers of the surname was John Hour (1815-1892), a renowned English botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and cultivation.

Throughout its history, the surname "HOUR" has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from landowners and merchants to clergymen, politicians, and scholars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hour

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

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

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

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