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

Harbaugh, 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 Harbaugh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harbaugh in America

Harbaugh is the 6873rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harbaugh surname appeared 4,895 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Harbaugh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harbaugh 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.

The history of the last name Harbaugh

The surname HARBAUGH is of Germanic origin, specifically from the German language. It is believed to have emerged in the regions of present-day Germany and Switzerland during the Middle Ages, approximately between the 10th and 14th centuries.

The name HARBAUGH is thought to derive from the Old German word "harba," which means "army" or "warrior." It likely referred to an ancestor who was a soldier or a member of the military. Over time, it evolved into various spellings, such as Harbauer, Harbauer, and Harbough, before settling on the modern form of HARBAUGH.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HARBAUGH can be found in the Stadtbücher (town records) of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention individuals bearing variations of the name, such as Hans Harbauer and Peter Harbauer.

In the 15th century, the HARBAUGH name appeared in the Swiss city of Basel, where a family called Harbough resided. This family is believed to have migrated from Germany to Switzerland during that time period.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the HARBAUGH surname include:

1. Johannes Harbaugh (1808-1860), a German-American Lutheran minister and author who played a significant role in the establishment of the Lutheran Church in the United States.

2. Henry Harbaugh (1817-1867), an American Lutheran minister, theologian, and poet, known for his works such as "Heavenly Home" and "The Blessed Life."

3. Wilhelm Harbaugh (1853-1926), a German-American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate in the late 19th century.

4. Thomas Craven Harbaugh (1900-1973), an American lawyer and judge who served as a United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

5. John Harbaugh (born 1962), a former American football coach and the current head coach of the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL).

While the HARBAUGH name has its roots in German-speaking regions, it eventually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, particularly through migration and immigration patterns. Today, the surname can be found in various countries around the world, with notable concentrations in the United States, Canada, and parts of Western Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harbaugh

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

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 Harbaugh was:

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 Harbaugh has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Harbaugh was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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