Meaning and background
The story behind Hoban
Hoban is an Irish surname that represents Gaelic Ó hÚbáin, 'descendant of Úbán'. The Dictionary of American Family Names explicitly says that the older personal name Úbán has an unexplained etymology. That is an important limit: the patronymic relationship can be stated, but an attractive literal meaning cannot. Hoban has two clear syllables as a spoken name, with no need to borrow explanations from similar-looking English surnames.
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About Hoban
Recorded as a dog’s name
Hoban appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2024 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/hoʊbən/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/hoʊbən/ · primary stress on syllable 1HH OW1 B AH0 N
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.