2000
#17,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,540
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.57
Rare Last name
Harb
An Arabic surname referring to war, battle, or a warrior.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,791 Americans carry the last name Harb. That puts it at #12,207 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,807 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harb surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Harb with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 122,807
Census rank
#12,207
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,434 bearers of the surname Harb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12207th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harb, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harb
The surname HARB is thought to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in regions like Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. The name is derived from the Arabic word "harb," which means "war" or "battle." This etymology suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were warriors, soldiers, or associated with military endeavors.
In ancient times, the HARB name was found in various Arabic manuscripts and historical records. One of the earliest known references is in the 9th-century work "Kitab al-Aghani" (Book of Songs), which mentions individuals with the surname HARB who were renowned poets and literary figures.
The name HARB has also been linked to several influential figures throughout history. One notable example is Abu Bakr al-Harb, a 10th-century Arab scholar and writer from Baghdad, whose works covered subjects like grammar, poetry, and literature.
Another prominent individual with the HARB surname was Umar al-Harb, a 12th-century Arab military leader and commander from Damascus. He played a significant role in the Crusades, leading Muslim armies against the Crusader forces.
In the 13th century, the name HARB appears in records related to the Ayyubid dynasty, a Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled over parts of the Middle East and North Africa. One notable figure from this era was Salah al-Din al-Harb, a military commander and cousin of the famous Sultan Salah al-Din (Saladin).
Moving forward in time, the HARB surname can be found in various historical documents and records from the Ottoman Empire. One example is Mustafa al-Harb, a 16th-century Ottoman scholar and historian who authored works on the history and culture of the region.
Another individual of note is Ali al-Harb, an 18th-century Arab poet and writer from Lebanon. His poetic works were widely renowned and celebrated in the Arab literary tradition.
These are just a few examples of the individuals with the surname HARB who have left their mark on history. The name's rich heritage and association with military prowess, scholarship, and literary achievements underscore its significance in the cultural tapestry of the Middle East.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harb
Among Census respondents with the surname Harb, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Harb bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Harb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 2,136
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 151
- Two or more races4.3% · 104
- Black or African American0.9% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harb
Harb appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,012
+472 bearers (+30.6%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 2,240 places
2020
#12,207
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,434
+422 bearers (+21.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 2,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,001 | 1,540 | 0.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,761 | 2,012 | 0.68 | +472 bearers (+30.6%) | Up 2,240 places |
| 2020 | #12,207 | 2,434 | 0.81 | +422 bearers (+21.0%) | Up 2,554 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Harb surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,761 | #12,207 | 17.3% |
| Count | 2,012 | 2,434 | 21.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.81 | 19.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harb bearers went from 2,012 to 2,434 (+21.0% change). The surname moved up 2,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,761 to #12,207.
FAQ
Harb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harb?
Name Census estimates that about 2,791 living Americans carry the surname Harb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,807 residents.
How common is Harb?
Harb ranks #12,207 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,434 people with the surname Harb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,791), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Harb.
Has Harb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harb went from 2,012 recorded bearers to 2,434. That is an increase of 422 (+21.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,761 to #12,207.
What does the Census say about the background of Harb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harb, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Harb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (2,136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (6.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Harb (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Harb mean?
An Arabic surname referring to war, battle, or a warrior. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Harb (0.81 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Harb?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Harb, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.