2000
#100,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Harbrecht
A surname derived from the German word "Herberge" meaning "inn" or "hostel".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 185 Americans carry the last name Harbrecht. That puts it at #115,151 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,852,726 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harbrecht 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.
Bearers in the US
185
1 in 1,852,726
Census rank
#115,151
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
161
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 161 bearers of the surname Harbrecht in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 115151st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harbrecht, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harbrecht
The surname Harbrecht originates from Germany, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German words "har" and "breht," which together signify "bright hair" or "shining hair." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for an individual with striking or lustrous locks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Harbrecht name can be found in a medieval manuscript from the city of Nuremberg, dated around 1290. This document mentioned a certain "Johannes Harbrecht," who was a local tradesman. It is unclear whether this spelling was precisely accurate or a variation of the name's original form.
The Harbrecht surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany. For instance, there is a small village called Harbracht in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in that region.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Harbrecht (1516-1571) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and reformer from the city of Tübingen. His writings and sermons played a significant role in shaping the Protestant Reformation in southern Germany.
Another historical figure of note was Johann Harbrecht (1677-1744), a German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Duke of Württemberg. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded during his lifetime and contributed to the Baroque musical tradition.
During the 18th century, a family bearing the Harbrecht name gained prominence in the city of Augsburg. One member, Friedrich Harbrecht (1725-1803), was a respected banker and merchant who played a crucial role in the city's economic affairs.
In the 19th century, a German immigrant named Wilhelm Harbrecht (1822-1892) settled in the United States and established a successful brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His business, the Harbrecht Brewing Company, became a popular local brand and contributed to the city's rich brewing heritage.
Throughout its history, the Harbrecht surname has also appeared in various alternate spellings, such as Harbracht, Harbrecht, Harbrechts, and Harbregt, reflecting regional linguistic variations and influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harbrecht
Among Census respondents with the surname Harbrecht, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Harbrecht 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 Harbrecht surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.4% · 160
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harbrecht
Harbrecht 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
#107,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 6,471 places
2020
#115,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 161
-5 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 8,017 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #100,663 | 166 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #107,134 | 166 | 0.06 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 6,471 places |
| 2020 | #115,151 | 161 | 0.05 | -5 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 8,017 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 Harbrecht 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 | #107,134 | #115,151 | -7.5% |
| Count | 166 | 161 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harbrecht bearers went from 166 to 161 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 8,017 positions in the national ranking, going from #107,134 to #115,151.
FAQ
Harbrecht surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harbrecht?
Name Census estimates that about 185 living Americans carry the surname Harbrecht. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,852,726 residents.
How common is Harbrecht?
Harbrecht ranks #115,151 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 161 people with the surname Harbrecht. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (185), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Harbrecht.
Has Harbrecht become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harbrecht went from 166 recorded bearers to 161. That is a decrease of 5 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #107,134 to #115,151.
What does the Census say about the background of Harbrecht?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harbrecht, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.6%). 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 Harbrecht in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.4% (160 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harbrecht appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.4%), Hispanic (0.6%). 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 Harbrecht (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 Harbrecht mean?
A surname derived from the German word "Herberge" meaning "inn" or "hostel". 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 Harbrecht (0.05 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 Harbrecht?
If you just want to know how common the surname Harbrecht is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.