Hartzel
Diminutive form of German names containing "hart", meaning strong or brave.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Hartzel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hartzel today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hartzel births was 1930 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hartzel. 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 Hartzel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1930
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1930 SSA rank
#4,237
Tracked since 1930
Popularity
Hartzel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Hartzel 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 Hartzel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Hartzel
The given name Hartzel is believed to have its origins in the Germanic languages, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a variant or diminutive form of the name Hartmut, which itself is composed of the Old High German elements "hart" meaning "hard" or "brave," and "muot" meaning "courage" or "spirit."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hartzel can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony, where a certain Hartzel von Freiberg is mentioned in a charter dated 1284. This suggests that the name was already in use by the 13th century in parts of central Europe.
In the 14th century, a Hartzel von Nürnberg, a merchant from the city of Nuremberg in present-day Bavaria, Germany, is noted in the city's records as having been involved in trade with neighboring regions. This provides evidence of the name's continued use and spread across different German-speaking areas during that period.
Jumping forward several centuries, one of the most notable historical figures to bear the name Hartzel was Hartzel von Klenze (1793-1864), a renowned German architect and educator. He was a prominent figure in the classical revival movement in architecture and designed numerous buildings, including the Walhalla memorial near Regensburg and the Old National Gallery in Berlin.
Another individual of note was Hartzel von Bülow (1809-1894), a Prussian statesman and diplomat who served as Chancellor of the German Empire under Otto von Bismarck. He played a significant role in the unification of Germany and the formation of the German Empire in the late 19th century.
In the realm of literature, Hartzel Kern (1863-1917) was a German writer and poet known for his works exploring themes of nature and rural life. His poetry collections, such as "Waldlieder" (Forest Songs), gained him recognition in literary circles of his time.
While the name Hartzel may have originated and been more prevalent in German-speaking regions, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, though perhaps with less frequency. Its historical significance lies in its Germanic roots and the notable individuals who have borne this name throughout the centuries.
People
Hartzel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hartzel 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
Hartzel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hartzel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hartzel 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 Hartzel a common name?
We classify Hartzel 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, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hartzel most popular?
The single biggest year for Hartzel was 1930, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hartzel 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 Hartzel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hartzel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hartzel 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 Hartzel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hartzel 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 Hartzel 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 have the name Hartzel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.