Haggard last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Haggard is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Haggard.

Meaning of Haggard

Wild or untamed; having a worn or emaciated appearance, as if from exhaustion, anxiety, or suffering.

Haggard, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Haggard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Haggard in America

Haggard is the 4230th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Haggard surname appeared 8,384 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Haggard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Haggard to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 4230 3931 7.33%
Count 8,384 8,300 1.01%
Proportion per 100k 2.84 3.08 -8.11%

The history of the last name Haggard

The surname Haggard originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'hag', meaning a hedge, and may have been an occupational name for someone who lived near a hedge or worked as a hedge-keeper.

Early variations of the spelling included Hagard, Haggerd, and Haggart. The name appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, where one Robert Haggard was listed as a resident.

In the 14th century, the name was found in various records, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a Johannes Haggard was mentioned. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 also contained the name William Haggard.

The surname Haggard is believed to have originated in the county of Lincolnshire, where it was particularly prominent in the medieval period. However, it later spread to other parts of England, including Yorkshire, Sussex, and Norfolk.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Haggard was Sir John Haggard, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1564. Another prominent figure was Sir Rider Haggard (1856-1925), a renowned English writer best known for his adventure novels set in Africa, such as "King Solomon's Mines" and "She".

Other historical figures with the Haggard surname include Sir Henry Haggard (1511-1554), a lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Queen Mary I, and Richard Haggard (1786-1857), an English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club.

In the 17th century, the Haggard family established themselves as landowners and gentry in Norfolk, with Thomas Haggard being granted a coat of arms in 1632. The family's ancestral home, Bradenham Hall, remained in their possession until the late 19th century.

While the surname Haggard is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with notable individuals in various fields, from politics and law to literature and sports.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Haggard

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Haggard.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Haggard was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 88.45% 7,416
Non-Hispanic Black Only 5.58% 468
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.69% 58
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 1.11% 93
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.04% 171
Hispanic Origin 2.12% 178

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Haggard has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 88.45% 89.94% -1.67%
Black 5.58% 5.59% -0.18%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.69% 0.36% 62.86%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 1.11% 1.02% 8.45%
Two or More Races 2.04% 1.64% 21.74%
Hispanic 2.12% 1.45% 37.54%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Haggard was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Haggard, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Haggard last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 4, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/haggard-surname-popularity/.

"Haggard last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/haggard-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 December, 2024

Haggard last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/haggard-surname-popularity/.

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