Explore the Family Name Huo
The meaning of Huo
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 霍, meaning ‘suddenly’ or referring to the phenomenon of a small hill being surrounded by higher hills: (i) from Huo (霍), the name of a state (located in Shanxi province) granted to Shu Chu, the eighth son of the virtuous King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC), who was the ruler of the state o Huo but was deposed in his late years due to his participation in a rebellion. After it was annexed by the state of Jin in 661 BC, the name of the state was adopted as a surname. (ii) traced back to certain minority ethnic groups who lived in present-day Hunan province. 2. Mandarin form of the surname 火, meaning ‘fire’ in Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of officials in charge of using fires during ceremonies and preventing destructive fires. (ii) borne by descendants of Huo Ji (火濟), king of an ethnic group in southwestern China during the Three Kingdoms period (220–80 AD).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Huo in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Huo has significantly increased in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Huo was ranked 41,448th in terms of popularity and by 2010 it had climbed to a rank of 26,516. This represents a change of 36.03%. The count also rose during this period from 495 to 920 individuals with this last name, an increase of 85.86%. The proportion of individuals named Huo per 100,000 people similarly saw an uptick from 0.18 to 0.31, marking a 72.22% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #41,448 | #26,516 | 36.03% |
| Count | 495 | 920 | 85.86% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.18 | 0.31 | 72.22% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Huo
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Huo, as shown in the Decennial U.S. Census, predominantly lies within the Asian/Pacific Islander group. In 2000, 97.37% of individuals with this surname identified with this ethnicity, though this figure decreased slightly by 2010 to 95.98%, a change of -1.43%. Those identifying as two or more races made up 1.41% in 2000, decreasing to 1.3% in 2010. Interestingly, there were no individuals with the surname Huo who identified as white in 2000, but by 2010, this group constituted 2.28% of the Huo population. No changes were noted for Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native identities over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 97.37% | 95.98% | -1.43% |
| White | 0% | 2.28% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 1.3% | -7.8% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |