2000
#2,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,569
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.29
Uncommon Last name
Hudgins
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Hudde, a medieval diminutive of Hugh or Richard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,737 Americans carry the last name Hudgins. That puts it at #3,173 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,910 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hudgins 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
13K
1 in 26,910
Census rank
#3,173
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,107 bearers of the surname Hudgins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3173rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hudgins, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hudgins
The surname Hudgins originated in England and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hudgian," which means "to cover" or "to conceal." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a secluded or hidden area.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Hudgins name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1524, where it appears as "Hodgyns." This variation in spelling was not uncommon during that time period, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various parish records across southern England, particularly in the counties of Sussex, Hampshire, and Dorset. One notable entry is the baptism record of John Hudgins in the parish of St. Mary's in Southampton in 1612.
The Hudgins surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Hudgins Farm in Sussex, which was mentioned in a land survey from the late 16th century. This further reinforces the link between the name and the concept of a secluded or hidden location.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Hudgins surname was Richard Hudgins, born in 1585 in Southampton, England. He later emigrated to Virginia, where he became one of the first settlers in the colony.
Another notable figure was John Hudgins, born in 1620 in Hampshire, England. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in the late 17th century and played a role in the development of the colony's legal system.
In the 18th century, Thomas Hudgins, born in 1712 in Sussex, England, gained recognition as a successful merchant and landowner in Virginia. His descendants went on to establish prominent plantations in the region.
During the American Revolutionary War, Captain William Hudgins, born in 1745 in Virginia, served in the Continental Army and fought in several battles, including the Battle of Yorktown.
In the 19th century, Reverend Samuel Hudgins, born in 1810 in Virginia, became a prominent Baptist minister and played a significant role in the religious life of the southern United States.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the Hudgins surname who have left their mark on history, but the name continues to be carried on by many families around the world today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hudgins
Among Census respondents with the surname Hudgins, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Hudgins 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 Hudgins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 8,425
- Black or African American15.3% · 1,704
- Two or more races4.6% · 506
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 352
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 55
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hudgins
Hudgins 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
#3,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,755
+186 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 3.99
Rank movement Down 203 places
2020
#3,173
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,107
-648 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 3.72
Rank movement Down 125 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,845 | 11,569 | 4.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,048 | 11,755 | 3.99 | +186 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 203 places |
| 2020 | #3,173 | 11,107 | 3.72 | -648 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 125 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 Hudgins 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 | #3,048 | #3,173 | -4.1% |
| Count | 11,755 | 11,107 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.99 | 3.72 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hudgins bearers went from 11,755 to 11,107 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 125 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,048 to #3,173.
FAQ
Hudgins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hudgins?
Name Census estimates that about 12,737 living Americans carry the surname Hudgins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,910 residents.
How common is Hudgins?
Hudgins ranks #3,173 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,107 people with the surname Hudgins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,737), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Hudgins.
Has Hudgins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hudgins went from 11,755 recorded bearers to 11,107. That is a decrease of 648 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,048 to #3,173.
What does the Census say about the background of Hudgins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hudgins, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Hudgins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (8,425 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hudgins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), Black (15.3%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Hudgins (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 Hudgins mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Hudde, a medieval diminutive of Hugh or Richard. 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 Hudgins (3.72 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 Hudgins?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.