2000
#5,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,373
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.36
Rare Last name
Hulse
Derived from a place name meaning "holly" or "holly wood" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,256 Americans carry the last name Hulse. That puts it at #5,315 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,237 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hulse 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hulse with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 47,237
Census rank
#5,315
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,328 bearers of the surname Hulse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5315th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hulse, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hulse
The surname Hulse is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the late 11th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "holr," which means "hollow" or "deep pool." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely lived near a distinctive geographical feature such as a valley or a deep pool of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Holehusse." This entry refers to a place name in Staffordshire, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
In the following centuries, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Holehouse, Hollowhouse, Holhous, and Holhus, before settling into its modern form of Hulse. These variations reflect the evolution of language and the influence of local dialects on the pronunciation and spelling of surnames.
One notable bearer of the Hulse surname was John Hulse, born in 1708 in Cheshire, England. He was a renowned mathematician and theologian who served as the President of Brasenose College, Oxford, from 1776 until his death in 1790.
Another prominent figure was Sir Edward Hulse, born in 1682 in Cheshire. He was a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who endowed the Hulse Trust in 1691, which aimed to support the study of divinity and the advancement of Christian knowledge.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Hulse surname dates back to 1635, when John Hulse arrived in Virginia from England. His descendants went on to establish roots across various parts of the country.
A notable American bearer of the name was David Hulse, born in 1816 in New York. He was a prominent businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Seneca Falls, New York, from 1866 to 1868.
Another notable figure was Hiram Hulse, born in 1835 in Illinois. He was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and later became a successful businessman and real estate developer in Chicago.
Throughout its long history, the Hulse surname has been associated with various occupations and endeavors, from academics and clergymen to military personnel and businessmen. Its enduring presence across different regions and time periods reflects the rich tapestry of human migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hulse
Among Census respondents with the surname Hulse, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hulse 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 Hulse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 5,476
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 334
- Two or more races4.2% · 267
- Black or African American2.4% · 152
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hulse
Hulse 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
#5,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,776
+403 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 2.30
Rank movement Down 112 places
2020
#5,315
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,328
-448 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Down 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,052 | 6,373 | 2.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,164 | 6,776 | 2.30 | +403 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 112 places |
| 2020 | #5,315 | 6,328 | 2.12 | -448 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 151 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 Hulse 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 | #5,164 | #5,315 | -2.9% |
| Count | 6,776 | 6,328 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.30 | 2.12 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hulse bearers went from 6,776 to 6,328 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,164 to #5,315.
FAQ
Hulse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hulse?
Name Census estimates that about 7,256 living Americans carry the surname Hulse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,237 residents.
How common is Hulse?
Hulse ranks #5,315 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,328 people with the surname Hulse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,256), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hulse.
Has Hulse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hulse went from 6,776 recorded bearers to 6,328. That is a decrease of 448 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,164 to #5,315.
What does the Census say about the background of Hulse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hulse, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Hulse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (5,476 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hulse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Hispanic (5.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Hulse (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 Hulse mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "holly" or "holly wood" 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 Hulse (2.12 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 common is the surname Hulse?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Hulse at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.