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

Hudgens, 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 Hudgens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hudgens in America

Hudgens is the 7237th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hudgens surname appeared 4,609 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hudgens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hudgens 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 Hudgens

The surname HUDGENS originates from England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'hudian', meaning 'to cover' or 'to cover oneself'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who made or sold hoods or cloaks.

HUDGENS is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Huddingis'. This entry refers to a landowner in Gloucestershire. Other early spellings include 'Hoddyng' and 'Hudding', found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Hudgens, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century. Records show that he traded in wool and cloth, which aligns with the potential origin of the name being related to clothing.

In the 16th century, the HUDGENS name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. This is evidenced by parish records and other historical documents from that period.

Notable individuals with the surname HUDGENS include:

1. Richard Hudgens (c. 1580-1647), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Oxford.

2. Thomas Hudgens (1685-1757), a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and a prominent landowner in colonial Virginia.

3. Mary Hudgens (1737-1798), an American pioneer and early settler in the state of Kentucky.

4. John Hudgens (1812-1891), a British architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in London.

5. William Hudgens (1876-1942), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Hudgens Foundation, a charitable organization focused on education and healthcare.

The HUDGENS surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Hudgens Farm in Somerset and Hudgens Hill in Gloucestershire. These locations likely derive their names from early settlers bearing the HUDGENS surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hudgens

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

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

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

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