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

Harbour, 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 Harbour surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harbour in America

Harbour is the 7964th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harbour surname appeared 4,155 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Harbour.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harbour 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 Harbour

The surname Harbour is of English and Norman-French origin, deriving from the Old French word 'herbor', meaning a shelter or lodging. It first emerged in the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The name likely referred to someone who lived near a harbour or port, or possibly an innkeeper who provided lodging for travelers. Early spellings of the name include Herbour, Harbur, and Herbergh.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Harbour surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a Robert de Herberga in Gloucestershire. This suggests the name had already established itself in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Harbour name was particularly concentrated in the coastal regions of southern England, such as Devon, Dorset, and Cornwall, reflecting the maritime connections of the name.

Notable individuals with the Harbour surname include John Harbour (c.1455-1529), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Bristol; Sir Nicholas Harbour (1547-1615), an English naval commander who served under Sir Francis Drake; and Mary Harbour (1668-1734), an English Quaker missionary who traveled extensively throughout the American colonies.

In the 17th century, the surname spread to Ireland, where it appeared in records as Harbour and Harbor. One prominent Irish bearer was Thomas Harbour (1730-1806), a Protestant minister and author from County Down.

Other notable Harbours include William Harbour (1820-1905), an English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London; and Sir Michael Harbour (1938-2017), a British diplomat who served as Ambassador to Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The geographical concentrations and occupational connections of the Harbour name reflect its origins as a locative surname, tied to the maritime and coastal regions of medieval England and later Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harbour

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

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

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

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