2000
#6,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,729
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.75
Rare Last name
Hunnicutt
Derived from a place name meaning "honey cottage" in Old English, likely referring to a beekeeper's dwelling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,066 Americans carry the last name Hunnicutt. That puts it at #7,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,658 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hunnicutt 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
5.1K
1 in 67,658
Census rank
#7,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,418 bearers of the surname Hunnicutt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hunnicutt, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hunnicutt
The surname Hunnicutt has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hunig" meaning honey, and "cot" referring to a small dwelling or cottage. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a cottage where honey was produced or sold.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1195, which lists a Roger de Honycote. This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Hunycote, Honycote, and Hunnycott, in records from counties like Warwickshire and Worcestershire. These records indicate that the name was relatively widespread across the Midlands region of England during this period.
The Hunnicutt surname has a notable connection to the village of Honington, located in Warwickshire. Historical documents from the 14th century refer to individuals bearing the name Honycote or Hunycote who were residents of this village.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Hunycote, who was born around 1320 in Warwickshire. He was a landowner and farmer, and his name appears in local tax records from the mid-14th century.
Another notable figure was William Hunnicutt, born in 1488 in Worcestershire. He was a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, a prestigious guild in London.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the name began to solidify into its modern form of Hunnicutt. During this period, the name is found in parish records from various counties, including Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.
One individual of note was Thomas Hunnicutt, born in 1542 in Warwickshire. He was a scholar and author, known for his work on English grammar and rhetoric.
In the 17th century, the name spread beyond England as some Hunnicutts emigrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname in the colonies was John Hunnicutt, who was born in 1632 in Virginia.
Throughout its history, the Hunnicutt surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, merchants, scholars, and tradesmen. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark on the genealogical records of England and the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hunnicutt
Among Census respondents with the surname Hunnicutt, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hunnicutt 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 Hunnicutt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.8% · 3,658
- Black or African American6.8% · 301
- Two or more races4.9% · 215
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 137
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hunnicutt
Hunnicutt 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
#7,130
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,690
-39 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Down 519 places
2020
#7,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,418
-272 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 143 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,611 | 4,729 | 1.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,130 | 4,690 | 1.59 | -39 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 519 places |
| 2020 | #7,273 | 4,418 | 1.48 | -272 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 143 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 Hunnicutt 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 | #7,130 | #7,273 | -2.0% |
| Count | 4,690 | 4,418 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.59 | 1.48 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hunnicutt bearers went from 4,690 to 4,418 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 143 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,130 to #7,273.
FAQ
Hunnicutt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hunnicutt?
Name Census estimates that about 5,066 living Americans carry the surname Hunnicutt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,658 residents.
How common is Hunnicutt?
Hunnicutt ranks #7,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,418 people with the surname Hunnicutt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Hunnicutt.
Has Hunnicutt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hunnicutt went from 4,690 recorded bearers to 4,418. That is a decrease of 272 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,130 to #7,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Hunnicutt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hunnicutt, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Hunnicutt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (3,658 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hunnicutt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.8%), Black (6.8%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Hunnicutt (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 Hunnicutt mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "honey cottage" in Old English, likely referring to a beekeeper's dwelling. 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 Hunnicutt (1.48 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 Hunnicutt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.