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

Hoye, 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 Hoye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hoye in America

Hoye is the 14252nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hoye surname appeared 2,103 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 Hoye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hoye 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 Hoye

The surname Hoye has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hoh," which means "heel" or "projecting ridge of land." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a distinctive ridge or heel-shaped landform.

In the early medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Hoy, Hoge, or Hogie, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling practices at the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named William Hoge is mentioned.

The name Hoye is also associated with the Shetland Islands, a Scottish archipelago located in the Northern Isles. It is possible that the name originated there and was later adopted in other parts of Scotland. In fact, the island of Hoy, which is part of the Orkney Islands, may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Hoye was Sir Peter Hoye (1551-1616), a Scottish landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament during the reign of King James VI. Another prominent individual was James Hoye (1670-1743), a Scottish minister and writer who served as the principal of St. Mary's College at the University of St. Andrews.

In the 17th century, the name Hoye appeared in the records of the Scottish Burghs, which were towns with special trading privileges. For instance, a merchant named John Hoye is mentioned in the records of the Burgh of Linlithgow in 1658.

Moving forward in time, William Hoye (1742-1828) was a Scottish architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Circus Lane Baths and the Old College of the University of Edinburgh.

Finally, a more recent figure with the surname Hoye was Robert Hoye (1909-1986), a Scottish actor and theatre director who gained recognition for his work in productions by the Scottish National Players and the BBC.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hoye

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

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

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

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