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

Huntsman, 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 Huntsman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Huntsman in America

Huntsman is the 7905th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Huntsman surname appeared 4,187 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Huntsman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Huntsman 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 Huntsman

The surname "HUNTSMAN" originated in medieval England, deriving from the Old English words "hunta" (hunter) and "mann" (man). It was an occupational surname given to individuals whose primary occupation was hunting, either as a professional hunter or as a gamekeeper on a noble estate.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the late 12th century, with references appearing in various legal documents and parish records. One notable early bearer of the name was William le Huntesman, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1199.

In the 13th century, the surname was often spelled "Huntesman" or "Huntman," reflecting the evolving English language. During this period, it was particularly common in regions with large forests and hunting grounds, such as Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and the Yorkshire Dales.

The Huntsman surname is also closely associated with the English tradition of fox hunting, which emerged as a popular pursuit among the aristocracy in the 16th and 17th centuries. Many families with the surname were employed as huntsmen, responsible for training and managing packs of hounds for their noble patrons.

One famous Huntsman was Robert Huntsman (1637-1701), who served as the huntsman to King Charles II and is credited with establishing the modern standards for fox hunting. Another notable figure was John Huntsman (1714-1776), a Yorkshire-born clockmaker who pioneered the manufacture of crucible steel, which was widely used in the production of hunting weapons and tools.

In the 19th century, the surname spread across the British Empire as Huntsmen and their families migrated to colonies such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One prominent bearer of the name during this period was Benjamin Huntsman (1776-1859), a British-born Australian pioneer and explorer who led several expeditions into the interior of the continent.

Other notable Huntsmans throughout history include Sir Adolphus Frederick Octavius Huntsman (1856-1936), a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, and Sir Charles Huntsman (1892-1973), a British businessman and industrialist who served as the chairman of the Huntsman Group, a major manufacturer of hunting and sporting equipment.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Huntsman

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

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

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

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