2000
#8,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,675
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Hovis
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely referring to a hollow or depression.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,809 Americans carry the last name Hovis. That puts it at #9,393 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,985 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hovis 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
3.8K
1 in 89,985
Census rank
#9,393
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,322 bearers of the surname Hovis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9393rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hovis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mentions a William de la Hove.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hovis
Among Census respondents with the surname Hovis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hovis 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 Hovis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 3,033
- Two or more races3.4% · 114
- Black or African American2.8% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hovis
Hovis 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
#9,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,462
-213 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 1,105 places
2020
#9,393
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,322
-140 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,289 | 3,675 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,394 | 3,462 | 1.17 | -213 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 1,105 places |
| 2020 | #9,393 | 3,322 | 1.11 | -140 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 1 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 Hovis 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 | #9,394 | #9,393 | 0.0% |
| Count | 3,462 | 3,322 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.11 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hovis bearers went from 3,462 to 3,322 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,394 to #9,393.
FAQ
Hovis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hovis?
Name Census estimates that about 3,809 living Americans carry the surname Hovis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,985 residents.
How common is Hovis?
Hovis ranks #9,393 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 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 3,322 people with the surname Hovis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,809), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 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 Hovis.
Has Hovis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hovis went from 3,462 recorded bearers to 3,322. That is a decrease of 140 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,394 to #9,393.
What does the Census say about the background of Hovis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hovis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (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 Hovis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (3,033 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hovis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Black (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 Hovis (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 Hovis mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely referring to a hollow or depression. 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 Hovis (1.11 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 Hovis?
You can see how common the surname Hovis is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.