2000
#9,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,080
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Hobart
Derived from a place name meaning "high fort" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,347 Americans carry the last name Hobart. That puts it at #10,489 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,406 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hobart 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 Hobart with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,406
Census rank
#10,489
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,919 bearers of the surname Hobart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10489th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hobart, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hobart
The surname Hobart originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hoh" meaning a heel or ridge, and "beorht" meaning bright or shining. This suggests that the name may have been a topographical description referring to someone who lived on a bright or prominent ridge or hill.
The name is also closely linked to the town of Hobart in Norfolk, England, which was first recorded as "Hoghberton" in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is likely that the surname Hobart was initially adopted by families who resided in or near this town.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hobart can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mention a Richard de Houberd. Other early spellings include Hoberd, Howberd, and Howbart.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir Henry Hobart (c. 1235-1305), a distinguished knight and landowner from Norfolk. His descendants played a significant role in the history of the county, with several holding high positions in government and the legal system.
Another prominent member of the Hobart family was Sir James Hobart (1508-1584), who served as the Attorney General of England under Queen Elizabeth I. He was also a member of Parliament and was knighted in 1564.
During the 17th century, Sir John Hobart (1594-1647) was an influential English lawyer and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. He played a crucial role in the legal debates surrounding the authority of the monarchy during the reign of King Charles I.
In the 18th century, George Hobart (1730-1804) became the 3rd Earl of Buckinghamshire and served as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1776 to 1780.
The name Hobart has also been associated with several places, including the city of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia, which was named after Lord Hobart, the former Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in the early 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hobart
Among Census respondents with the surname Hobart, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hobart 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 Hobart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,669
- Two or more races3.4% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 89
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 23
- Black or African American0.7% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hobart
Hobart 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
#10,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,129
+49 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 620 places
2020
#10,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,919
-210 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 191 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,678 | 3,080 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,298 | 3,129 | 1.06 | +49 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 620 places |
| 2020 | #10,489 | 2,919 | 0.98 | -210 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 191 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 Hobart 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 | #10,298 | #10,489 | -1.9% |
| Count | 3,129 | 2,919 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.98 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hobart bearers went from 3,129 to 2,919 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 191 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,298 to #10,489.
FAQ
Hobart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hobart?
Name Census estimates that about 3,347 living Americans carry the surname Hobart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,406 residents.
How common is Hobart?
Hobart ranks #10,489 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,919 people with the surname Hobart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Hobart.
Has Hobart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hobart went from 3,129 recorded bearers to 2,919. That is a decrease of 210 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,298 to #10,489.
What does the Census say about the background of Hobart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hobart, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Hobart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,669 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hobart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Hobart (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 Hobart mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "high fort" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence. 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 Hobart (0.98 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 Hobart?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.