2000
#8,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,744
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Hudnall
Derived from a place name meaning "hood nook" or "hood at the nook of land" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,303 Americans carry the last name Hudnall. That puts it at #8,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,655 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hudnall 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
4.3K
1 in 79,655
Census rank
#8,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,752 bearers of the surname Hudnall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hudnall, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hudnall
The surname Hudnall is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hud" and "hnæl," which together can be interpreted as "hood knell" or "hood nap." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive one, potentially referring to a person who made or sold hoods or capes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1227, where a William Hudnall is mentioned. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the 13th century. Additionally, the surname appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, further solidifying its presence in medieval England.
In the 14th century, the name was recorded in various forms, including Hudnale, Hudnell, and Hudnall. This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spellings were not yet established. The name has also been linked to certain place names, such as Hudnall in Staffordshire and Hudnall in Warwickshire, suggesting a possible connection to specific locations.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Hudnall was John Hudnall, born in 1630 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who later emigrated to Virginia in the American colonies. Another distinguished individual was Sir Thomas Hudnall (1678-1745), a member of the British Parliament and a respected jurist.
In the 16th century, a family by the name of Hudnall resided in the village of Wootton Wawen, Warwickshire. This family produced several notable members, including William Hudnall (1542-1614), a respected farmer and landowner, and his son, Richard Hudnall (1576-1638), who served as a local magistrate.
Moving forward to the 17th century, we find Elizabeth Hudnall (1612-1689), a Puritan colonist who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s. Her descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of New England and played a role in the early development of the region.
Over the centuries, the Hudnall surname has remained relatively uncommon, but its historical roots and connections to various locations in England and the American colonies have contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hudnall
Among Census respondents with the surname Hudnall, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hudnall 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 Hudnall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 3,073
- Black or African American10.8% · 404
- Two or more races4.4% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hudnall
Hudnall 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
#8,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,839
+95 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 426 places
2020
#8,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,752
-87 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Up 130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,153 | 3,744 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,579 | 3,839 | 1.30 | +95 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 426 places |
| 2020 | #8,449 | 3,752 | 1.26 | -87 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 130 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 Hudnall 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 | #8,579 | #8,449 | 1.5% |
| Count | 3,839 | 3,752 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.26 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hudnall bearers went from 3,839 to 3,752 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 130 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,579 to #8,449.
FAQ
Hudnall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hudnall?
Name Census estimates that about 4,303 living Americans carry the surname Hudnall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,655 residents.
How common is Hudnall?
Hudnall ranks #8,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 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 3,752 people with the surname Hudnall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,303), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 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 Hudnall.
Has Hudnall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hudnall went from 3,839 recorded bearers to 3,752. That is a decrease of 87 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,579 to #8,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Hudnall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hudnall, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Hudnall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (3,073 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hudnall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (10.8%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Hudnall (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 Hudnall mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "hood nook" or "hood at the nook of land" in Old English. 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 Hudnall (1.26 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 Hudnall?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.