2000
#9,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,994
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Hoban
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó hÓbáin," meaning "descendant of Óbán," a personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,566 Americans carry the last name Hoban. That puts it at #9,905 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,117 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hoban 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 Hoban with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 96,117
Census rank
#9,905
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,110 bearers of the surname Hoban in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9905th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoban, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hoban
The surname Hoban originated in Ireland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "O'Baoithin," which means "descendant of Baithin." Baithin was a personal name of Irish origin, derived from the word "baith," meaning "innocent" or "simple."
The name Hoban was initially concentrated in the counties of Leix (now part of Laois) and Offaly in the Irish Midlands. Over time, it spread to other parts of Ireland, particularly Dublin and the surrounding areas. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "O'Baoithin," which evolved into various forms such as O'Boyhin, Boyhan, and eventually Hoban.
One of the earliest references to the name Hoban can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a "Maolseachlainn O'Baoithin," who was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Meath in the 12th century.
In the 16th century, the name Hoban appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. The records mention several individuals with the surname Hoban, including John Hoban of Dublin, who was granted lands in County Meath in 1588.
One notable figure in Irish history with the surname Hoban was James Hoban (1758-1831), an Irish-American architect who designed the White House in Washington, D.C. Another notable individual was Sir Edward Hoban (1886-1964), an Irish politician and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1949 to 1957.
Other historical figures with the surname Hoban include:
1. John Hoban (1755-1831), an Irish-American architect and brother of James Hoban, who assisted in the construction of the White House.
2. Michael Hoban (1795-1864), an Irish-American Jesuit priest and educator, who served as the president of Georgetown University from 1833 to 1835.
3. William Hoban (1766-1838), an Irish-American businessman and landowner, who was a prominent figure in the early development of Washington, D.C.
4. John Hoban (1874-1946), an Irish writer and poet, known for his works in the Irish literary revival.
5. Lily Hoban (1887-1976), an Irish actress and singer, who performed in various stage productions in Dublin and London in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hoban
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoban, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hoban 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 Hoban surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,829
- Two or more races3.9% · 121
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 88
- Black or African American1.2% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hoban
Hoban 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
#9,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,439
+445 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 478 places
2020
#9,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,110
-329 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 444 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,939 | 2,994 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,461 | 3,439 | 1.17 | +445 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 478 places |
| 2020 | #9,905 | 3,110 | 1.04 | -329 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 444 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 Hoban 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 | #9,461 | #9,905 | -4.7% |
| Count | 3,439 | 3,110 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.04 | -11.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hoban bearers went from 3,439 to 3,110 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 444 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,461 to #9,905.
FAQ
Hoban surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hoban?
Name Census estimates that about 3,566 living Americans carry the surname Hoban. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,117 residents.
How common is Hoban?
Hoban ranks #9,905 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 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 3,110 people with the surname Hoban. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,566), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 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 Hoban.
Has Hoban become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hoban went from 3,439 recorded bearers to 3,110. That is a decrease of 329 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,461 to #9,905.
What does the Census say about the background of Hoban?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoban, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Hoban in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,829 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hoban appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Hoban (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 Hoban mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó hÓbáin," meaning "descendant of Óbán," a personal name of unknown meaning. 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 Hoban (1.04 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 Hoban?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.