Harney
A masculine name potentially derived from a Scottish place name.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Harney. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Harney today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Harney births was 1924 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Harney. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Harney. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1924
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1926 SSA rank
#4,477
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Harney: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Harney 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 Harney during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 15 | 0 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Harney
The given name Harney has its origins in the Old English language, originating from the Anglo-Saxon period between the 5th and 11th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "hærn," which means "hairy" or "shaggy." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive term, possibly referring to a person with a thick or unkempt head of hair.
Historically, the name Harney can be traced back to various regions of England, particularly in areas where Anglo-Saxon settlements were prevalent, such as East Anglia and the southern counties. It is possible that the name may have originated as a nickname or a byname before becoming a common given name.
While there are no notable historical references to the name Harney in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in various historical records from medieval England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror.
Throughout history, several individuals with the given name Harney have made their mark in various fields. One notable figure was Sir John Harney (c. 1561-1635), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. Another prominent individual was William Harney (1800-1889), a career military officer in the United States Army who served during the Black Hawk War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War.
In the field of literature, Michael Harney (1945-1975) was an American novelist and short story writer, best known for his novel "Blackbird." Additionally, the name has been associated with the arts, with the American actor and director Thomas Harney (1922-1998) appearing in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.
Another notable figure was John Milton Harney (1789-1825), an Irish-American journalist and activist who advocated for workers' rights and was involved in the labor movement in the early 19th century.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the given name Harney, highlighting its enduring presence across various cultures and periods.
People
Harney + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Harney 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
Harney: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Harney?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Harney 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 - US residents.
Is Harney a common name?
We classify Harney as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Harney most popular?
The single biggest year for Harney was 1924, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Harney is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Harney in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Harney a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Harney 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.
Is Harney still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Harney in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Harney can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Harney?
Find out how many people share the name Harney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.