Hom
A rare surname that most likely began as a short form or variant tied to horn-making or horn-blowing.
The #6,906 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 63,489 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical evidence points most strongly to an English occupational name connected with horn work. In Bardsley, forms such as Homblower and Homere are linked to a "horn-man" or a maker of horn cups and similar objects, with Hom appearing as a shortened or altered form in that same family of names. The spelling may also reflect the loss of the final -n in horn, giving a form pronounced much like "horn" or a clipped occupational nickname.
History
The name is rare in the historical record and appears mostly as a spelling variant or shortened form in older English surname material. Because the excerpts are incidental rather than a direct headword entry for Hom, the derivation should be treated as probable rather than certain. Modern bearers are likely descended from one or more small, unrelated family lines rather than a single widespread surname group.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley explicitly connects related forms to a "horn-man," showing how medieval surnames could preserve everyday trades now long obsolete.
From the historical record
“JcJinBelnn.co.Oid'., I171. A Beatm, d.o( John Hom^l, 1637: Reg. Sl. Colnmb M»Dt, p, 315. Beaten, d. oT RichanTConilihe, itis"' <hid. p. 111.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances