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

Hudson, 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 Hudson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hudson in America

Hudson is the 214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hudson surname appeared 134,963 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 46 people would have the surname Hudson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hudson 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 Hudson

The surname Hudson is of English origin and dates back to the late 11th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words 'hoh' meaning 'heel' and 'dun' meaning 'hill', indicating that the name referred to someone who lived near a heel-shaped hill. The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Hoddun' and 'Hodden'.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Radulfus de Hoddun, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. Another early record is of William Hudson from the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire during the Middle Ages.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Hudson throughout history. Henry Hudson (c.1565-1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator who explored parts of present-day Canada and the United States, and for whom the Hudson River and Hudson Bay are named. Jeffery Hudson (1619-1682) was an English courtier who was famously known as the 'Queen's Dwarf' at the court of Queen Henrietta Maria.

Other prominent bearers of the name include the English philosopher and mathematician William Hudson (1730-1793), the American actor Rock Hudson (1925-1985), and the English musician and lead singer of the band Oasis, Liam Hudson (born 1972). The Hudson surname has also been associated with various places, such as Hudson, New York, and Hudson County, New Jersey, both named after Henry Hudson.

Over time, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Hodson, Hoddson, and Hudsson, reflecting regional dialects and evolving pronunciation. While the name has spread worldwide due to migration, its origins can be traced back to the hills and villages of medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hudson

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

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

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

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