2000
#2,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,664
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.07
Uncommon Last name
Hitchcock
An English occupational surname referring to a person who raised or trained hawks or falcons for hunting.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,006 Americans carry the last name Hitchcock. That puts it at #2,688 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,841 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hitchcock 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 Hitchcock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,841
Census rank
#2,688
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,086 bearers of the surname Hitchcock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2688th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hitchcock, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hitchcock
The surname Hitchcock has its origins in England, where it emerged in the medieval era, believed to have arisen sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Old English words "hicce," meaning a hitch or catch, and "cocc," meaning a hill or mound, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a ridge or hillock.
Early records of the name can be found in various historical documents, including the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 under the rule of William the Conqueror. The name appears in several variations, such as Hichecoc and Hichcok, reflecting the fluidity of spelling during that period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Walter Hitchcock, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. Another early reference is John Hichcok, documented in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332.
The surname Hitchcock has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Robert Hitchcock (1572-1636) was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Coventry. George Hitchcock (1850-1913) was an American writer and publisher known for founding the literary magazine "The Periodical."
Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), perhaps the most famous bearer of the name, was a renowned English film director and producer, widely considered one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. His iconic works, such as "Psycho," "Vertigo," and "Rear Window," have left an indelible mark on the art of filmmaking.
Another notable figure was Edward Hitchcock (1793-1864), an American geologist and educator who served as the president of Amherst College and made significant contributions to the study of geology and paleontology in the Connecticut River Valley.
Ethan Allen Hitchcock (1798-1870) was a distinguished American military officer who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War, rising to the rank of major general in the Union Army.
The surname Hitchcock has a rich history rooted in the English landscape and has been carried by individuals who have made their mark across various fields, from politics and literature to science and the arts, further enriching the legacy of this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hitchcock
Among Census respondents with the surname Hitchcock, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hitchcock 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 Hitchcock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 11,390
- Black or African American4.4% · 582
- Two or more races3.8% · 493
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 433
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 93
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hitchcock
Hitchcock 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
#2,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,608
-56 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 4.61
Rank movement Down 219 places
2020
#2,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,086
-522 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 4.38
Rank movement Down 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,427 | 13,664 | 5.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,646 | 13,608 | 4.61 | -56 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 219 places |
| 2020 | #2,688 | 13,086 | 4.38 | -522 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 42 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 Hitchcock 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 | #2,646 | #2,688 | -1.6% |
| Count | 13,608 | 13,086 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.61 | 4.38 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hitchcock bearers went from 13,608 to 13,086 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,646 to #2,688.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hitchcock
FAQ
Hitchcock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hitchcock?
Name Census estimates that about 15,006 living Americans carry the surname Hitchcock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,841 residents.
How common is Hitchcock?
Hitchcock ranks #2,688 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,086 people with the surname Hitchcock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,006), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Hitchcock.
Has Hitchcock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hitchcock went from 13,608 recorded bearers to 13,086. That is a decrease of 522 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,646 to #2,688.
What does the Census say about the background of Hitchcock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hitchcock, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Hitchcock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (11,390 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hitchcock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Black (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Hitchcock (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 Hitchcock mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who raised or trained hawks or falcons for hunting. 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 Hitchcock (4.38 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 share the surname Hitchcock?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.