Harlon
A masculine name derived from the English word "harle" meaning "brave person".
Name Census estimates that about 940 living Americans carry the first name Harlon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Harlon today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Harlon births was 1939 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Harlon. 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.
People living today
940
~ 1 in 364,632 Americans
Peak year
1939
44 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,277
Tracked since 1910
Popularity
Harlon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Harlon from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 326 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
Harlon 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 Harlon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Harlons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Texas, Alabama, Tennessee recorded the most babies named Harlon, while Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 31 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Harlon
The name Harlon is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words "here" meaning army and "laf" meaning remnant or survivor. It was initially used as a surname for someone who had survived a battle or military campaign. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 11th century in England.
Harlon gained popularity as a first name during the Middle Ages, particularly among families with a military background or ties to the nobility. It was seen as a name that conveyed strength, resilience, and a connection to the warrior culture of the time.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Harlon was Harlon de Grensyde, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Battle of Hastings in 1066. He was recorded in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and population in England commissioned by William I in 1086.
In the 13th century, Harlon de Burgh served as the Lord Treasurer of England under King Henry III. He played a significant role in the administration of the kingdom and was known for his financial acumen.
During the Renaissance period, Harlon Childe was a renowned English playwright and poet who lived from 1558 to 1633. His works included comedies and tragedies that were popular in the Elizabethan era.
In the 18th century, Harlon Wyndham was a prominent British politician and philosopher. Born in 1702, he served as a member of parliament and was known for his progressive views on social reform and individual liberties.
Another notable figure with the name Harlon was Harlon Hill, an American football player and coach who lived from 1923 to 2013. He had a successful career as a quarterback and later became a respected coach, earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1965.
While the name Harlon has waned in popularity in recent times, it remains a unique and historically significant name with roots in the Anglo-Saxon tradition and a connection to the military and warrior culture of the past.
People
Harlon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Harlon 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
Harlon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Harlon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 940 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Harlon 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 364,632 US residents.
Is Harlon a common name?
We classify Harlon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,844 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Harlon most popular?
The single biggest year for Harlon was 1939, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Harlon is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Harlon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Harlon 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.