# Hobson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/hobson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 17,043 |
| US rank (2010) | 2,128 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 18,116 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.2% (16,517 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɑb.sən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From a medieval diminutive form of the given name Robert + -son.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Hobson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 69% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 26% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Hobson in the United States and the United Kingdom.

## People named Hobson

- Valerie Hobson, British actress (1917–1998)
- Mellody Hobson, American businesswoman
- Luke Hobson, American swimmer
- Allan Hobson, American psychiatrist (1933-2021)
- Darington Hobson, American basketball player (born 1987)
- Dave Hobson, American politician (born 1936)

## Similar surnames

Hopson, Hopkins, Hopkinson.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.