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

Hudspeth, 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 Hudspeth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hudspeth in America

Hudspeth is the 7187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hudspeth surname appeared 4,651 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 Hudspeth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hudspeth 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 Hudspeth

The surname Hudspeth is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of northern England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hude," meaning "hide," and "speth," meaning "mallet" or "hammer." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade involving the use of a mallet, possibly in the tanning or leather-working industry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John Hodspeth is listed as a resident of the village of Wressle. The name appeared in various spellings in medieval records, including Hodspethe, Hudspethe, and Hudspith, reflecting the variation in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

The Hudspeth surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was John Hudspeth (c. 1590-1664), an English politician and member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War. Another was Samuel Hudspeth (1673-1747), a prominent merchant and shipowner from Newcastle upon Tyne, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade.

In the 18th century, the name gained recognition through the work of John Hudspeth (1712-1786), a celebrated English clockmaker and inventor from Penrith, Cumbria. His innovative timepieces and astronomical clocks were highly regarded and sought after by wealthy patrons and institutions.

The 19th century saw the rise of Henry Hudspeth (1822-1892), a British civil engineer and surveyor who contributed to the construction of several notable landmarks, including the Tay Bridge in Scotland and the Manchester Ship Canal.

Another notable figure bearing the Hudspeth surname was William Hudspeth (1857-1930), a British artist and painter known for his landscape and marine scenes, particularly those depicting the rugged coastlines of Cornwall and Devon.

While the Hudspeth name has its origins in England, over time it has spread to other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, as families migrated and established new roots. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide insight into the rich heritage and significance of this Anglo-Saxon surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hudspeth

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

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

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

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