Hargis
Of uncertain origin, perhaps related to words meaning "woodland" or "hill".
Name Census estimates that about 43 living Americans carry the first name Hargis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hargis today is around 81 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hargis births was 1916 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hargis. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Hargis is about 81 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Hargis' were born before 1955.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hargis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
43
~ 1 in 7,971,031 Americans
Peak year
1916
10 babies that year
Average age
81
years old
1965 SSA rank
#4,136
Tracked since 1907
Popularity
Hargis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hargis from the 1900s through to the 1960s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 60 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hargis by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hargis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hargis' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hargis
The name Hargis has its origins in the Middle English language, derived from the Old English words "hær" and "grīs," which together mean "gray hair." This suggests that the name was initially bestowed upon individuals who had distinctively gray hair, potentially as a descriptive nickname or surname that later evolved into a given name.
During the medieval period, the name Hargis was primarily found in various regions of England, particularly in the eastern counties. Records from the 13th and 14th centuries indicate its usage among members of the lower nobility and the emerging merchant class.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Hargis can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry refers to a landowner named Hargis de Brixworth, who held territories in the county of Northamptonshire.
In the realm of literature, the name Hargis appears in Geoffrey Chaucer's iconic work, "The Canterbury Tales," written in the late 14th century. A character named Hargis is depicted as a prosperous merchant from the city of Bristol, showcasing the name's association with the burgeoning merchant class of that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hargis. One such figure was Hargis de Wyntoun (c. 1280 - c. 1350), a Scottish chronicler and canon regular of St. Andrews Priory, renowned for his literary work "The Original Chronicle of Scotland."
Another prominent bearer of the name was Hargis Blackwood (1615 - 1683), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles II. He played a significant role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which paved the way for the establishment of constitutional monarchy in England.
In the realm of arts and culture, Hargis Fielding (1707 - 1754) was an influential English novelist and dramatist, best known for his satirical works such as "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling" and "Amelia." His literary contributions had a profound impact on the development of the English novel.
The name Hargis also found its way into the annals of exploration and discovery. Hargis Cartwright (1789 - 1856) was a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Arctic regions, contributing to the mapping and understanding of the northern reaches of the globe.
While the name Hargis has become less common in modern times, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English nomenclature, carrying with it a legacy that spans centuries of history, literature, politics, and exploration.
People
Hargis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hargis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hargis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hargis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 43 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hargis going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 7,971,031 US residents.
Is Hargis a common name?
We classify Hargis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 52.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 190 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hargis most popular?
The single biggest year for Hargis was 1916, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hargis is about 81 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hargis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hargis in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.