2000
#8,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,353
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Harber
An English occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells oats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,540 Americans carry the last name Harber. That puts it at #9,974 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harber 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 Harber with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 96,823
Census rank
#9,974
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,087 bearers of the surname Harber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9974th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harber, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harber
The surname HARBER has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "herebeorg," which means "army shelter" or "place of refuge." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a military encampment or a place of protection during times of conflict.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners and tenants in England, there are several entries that potentially refer to the name HARBER or its variations, such as "Hereberd" and "Herberd." These entries are found in various counties, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire, indicating that the name was present in different regions of the country.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname HARBER was Robert Harber, who lived in Leicestershire in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was John Harber, a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London, who was active in the 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the HARBER name appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. For instance, Thomas Harber was born in Gloucestershire in 1578, while William Harber, a landowner, was recorded in Oxfordshire in the early 1600s.
In the 18th century, the HARBER surname was associated with several notable figures. One such individual was James Harber (1714-1777), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theological subjects. Another was John Harber (1734-1803), a prominent architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London.
Moving into the 19th century, we find individuals like William Harber (1808-1879), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Thetford, and Charles Harber (1841-1914), a businessman and philanthropist who contributed to the development of the city of Birmingham.
Throughout history, the HARBER surname has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Harber, Harbor, Harbur, and Herber, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of different areas. Additionally, the name has been associated with various place names, including Harbury in Warwickshire and Harberton in Devon, which may have influenced its development and distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harber
Among Census respondents with the surname Harber, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Harber 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 Harber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 2,735
- Two or more races3.6% · 111
- Black or African American3.6% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harber
Harber 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
#9,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,416
+63 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 547 places
2020
#9,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,087
-329 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 459 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,968 | 3,353 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,515 | 3,416 | 1.16 | +63 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 547 places |
| 2020 | #9,974 | 3,087 | 1.03 | -329 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 459 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 Harber 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 | #9,515 | #9,974 | -4.8% |
| Count | 3,416 | 3,087 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.03 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harber bearers went from 3,416 to 3,087 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 459 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,515 to #9,974.
FAQ
Harber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harber?
Name Census estimates that about 3,540 living Americans carry the surname Harber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,823 residents.
How common is Harber?
Harber ranks #9,974 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 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 3,087 people with the surname Harber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,540), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 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 Harber.
Has Harber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harber went from 3,416 recorded bearers to 3,087. That is a decrease of 329 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,515 to #9,974.
What does the Census say about the background of Harber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harber, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.6%). 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 Harber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (2,735 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Black (3.6%). 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 Harber (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 Harber mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells oats. 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 Harber (1.03 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 Americans have the surname Harber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.