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

Hovis, 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 Hovis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hovis in America

Hovis is the 9394th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hovis surname appeared 3,462 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hovis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hovis 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 Hovis

The surname Hovis has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hove," which referred to a hill or a mound. This suggests that the name may have initially been a topographic name, given to someone who lived near or on a hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mentions a William de la Hove. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 also list a John atte Hove.

Throughout the centuries, the name underwent several spelling variations, including Hove, Hoven, and Hovyn, before eventually settling on the modern spelling of Hovis. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during those times.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Hove, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived in the 15th century. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1454 and played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.

In the 16th century, the Hovis name appeared in the records of the parish of St. Margaret's, Westminster, London. A certain William Hovis was listed as a churchwarden in 1580, indicating the family's presence in the capital city.

During the 17th century, the Hovis family established themselves in various parts of England, with records showing their presence in counties such as Somerset, Devon, and Gloucestershire. One notable individual from this period was Richard Hovis, a farmer from Somerset, who was born around 1625.

The 18th century saw the Hovis surname spread across the British Isles, with members of the family appearing in records from Scotland and Ireland. In Scotland, a John Hovis was born in Edinburgh in 1732, while in Ireland, a Michael Hovis was recorded as a landowner in County Tipperary in the 1780s.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many Hovis families migrated from rural areas to urban centers in search of employment opportunities. This led to the name becoming more widespread throughout England, particularly in cities like London, Manchester, and Birmingham.

One notable figure from this era was Samuel Hovis, an English inventor born in 1825. He is credited with developing an early version of the refrigerator, which he patented in 1855. His invention played a crucial role in the preservation of perishable goods and laid the foundation for modern refrigeration technology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hovis

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

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

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

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