2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hovnanian
A surname of Armenian origins indicating a person who comes from the village of Hovn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Hovnanian. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hovnanian 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Hovnanian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hovnanian, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hovnanian
The surname Hovnanian has its origins in Armenia, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 14th century. The name is derived from the Armenian word "hoviv," meaning "shepherd" or "herdsman," suggesting that the ancestors of those bearing this surname were likely involved in pastoral activities.
One of the earliest known references to the Hovnanian name can be found in the archives of the Armenian Apostolic Church, where a certain Hovnan Hovnanian is mentioned as a prominent figure in the village of Garni during the late 1300s. Records indicate that he was a respected member of the community and a skilled shepherd.
In the 16th century, a family bearing the Hovnanian surname settled in the city of Van, located in present-day eastern Turkey. This region was historically a part of the Armenian Kingdom and had a significant Armenian population. The Hovnanians of Van were known for their involvement in trade and commerce, particularly in the textile industry.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Hovnanian name appeared in various Armenian manuscripts and chronicles, often associated with notable figures in the fields of literature, religion, and education. One such individual was Khachatur Hovnanian (1630-1692), a revered scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on Armenian philosophy and theology.
In the 19th century, the Hovnanian name gained further prominence with the rise of the Armenian revolutionary movement against Ottoman rule. Avetis Hovnanian (1830-1887) was a prominent figure in this movement, renowned for his bravery and dedication to the cause of Armenian liberation.
Another notable Hovnanian was Yeghishe Hovnanian (1855-1922), a renowned writer and poet who played a pivotal role in the preservation and promotion of Armenian literature and culture. His works, which often drew inspiration from the rich heritage and struggles of the Armenian people, are widely celebrated and studied to this day.
As the Armenian diaspora spread across the world, the Hovnanian name became more widely dispersed. One of the most prominent individuals with this surname in recent history was Kevork S. Hovnanian (1923-2009), an American entrepreneur and founder of the successful homebuilding company, Hovnanian Enterprises. His contributions to the housing industry in the United States were significant, and he was widely recognized for his business acumen and philanthropic endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hovnanian
Among Census respondents with the surname Hovnanian, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hovnanian 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 Hovnanian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 117
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hovnanian
Hovnanian 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+17 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,161 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-16 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,027 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +17 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 5,161 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 16,027 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 Hovnanian 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 | #125,282 | #141,309 | -12.8% |
| Count | 137 | 121 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hovnanian bearers went from 137 to 121 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 16,027 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #141,309.
FAQ
Hovnanian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hovnanian?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Hovnanian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Hovnanian?
Hovnanian ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Hovnanian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Hovnanian.
Has Hovnanian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hovnanian went from 137 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Hovnanian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hovnanian, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Hovnanian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hovnanian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Hovnanian (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 Hovnanian mean?
A surname of Armenian origins indicating a person who comes from the village of Hovn. 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 Hovnanian (0.04 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 surname Hovnanian?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.