2000
#15,963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,672
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.62
Rare Last name
Hovland
A surname derived from a Norwegian village or farmstead name containing the element "hov" meaning "hill" or "knoll."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,099 Americans carry the last name Hovland. That puts it at #15,430 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hovland 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
2.1K
1 in 163,294
Census rank
#15,430
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,830 bearers of the surname Hovland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15430th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hovland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hovland
The surname HOVLAND originates from Norway and traces its roots back to the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "hov," which referred to a pagan temple or shrine, and "land," meaning land or territory. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who lived near or were responsible for maintaining such religious sites.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HOVLAND can be found in the Gulating Law, a Norwegian legal code dating back to the late 12th century. This ancient document mentions a person named Thorstein Hovland, indicating that the surname was already in use during that time period.
During the Middle Ages, the HOVLAND name appeared in various written records and manuscripts across Norway. For instance, a man named Bjorn Hovland was mentioned in a property deed from the year 1412 in the region of Hordaland.
In the 16th century, the HOVLAND surname gained prominence with the birth of Nils Hovland (1525-1591), a prominent Norwegian farmer and landowner. His descendants continued to use the surname, contributing to its spread throughout Norway.
Another notable individual with the HOVLAND surname was Hans Hovland (1695-1772), a Norwegian merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the country's maritime trade during the 18th century.
As Norway's population began to migrate to other parts of the world, the HOVLAND surname traveled with them. One such example is Ingrid Hovland (1820-1892), a Norwegian-American immigrant who settled in Wisconsin and became a respected figure in her local community.
Throughout history, variations of the HOVLAND surname have emerged, including Hovlund, Hofland, and Hovaland, reflecting the fluidity of spellings and regional dialects in Norway.
While the HOVLAND name may have originated from a specific geographical location or association with pagan shrines, it eventually became a widespread surname across Norway and among Norwegian diaspora communities worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hovland
Among Census respondents with the surname Hovland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hovland 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 Hovland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 1,678
- Two or more races3.5% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 38
- Black or African American1.1% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hovland
Hovland 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
#16,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,674
+2 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Down 1,012 places
2020
#15,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,830
+156 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 1,545 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,963 | 1,672 | 0.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,975 | 1,674 | 0.57 | +2 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 1,012 places |
| 2020 | #15,430 | 1,830 | 0.61 | +156 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 1,545 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 Hovland 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 | #16,975 | #15,430 | 9.1% |
| Count | 1,674 | 1,830 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.61 | 7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hovland bearers went from 1,674 to 1,830 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 1,545 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,975 to #15,430.
FAQ
Hovland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hovland?
Name Census estimates that about 2,099 living Americans carry the surname Hovland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,294 residents.
How common is Hovland?
Hovland ranks #15,430 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,830 people with the surname Hovland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,099), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Hovland.
Has Hovland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hovland went from 1,674 recorded bearers to 1,830. That is an increase of 156 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,975 to #15,430.
What does the Census say about the background of Hovland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hovland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Hovland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (1,678 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hovland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Hovland (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 Hovland mean?
A surname derived from a Norwegian village or farmstead name containing the element "hov" meaning "hill" or "knoll." 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 Hovland (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Hovland?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.