2000
#7,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Hardeman
An English occupational surname referring to a tough or hardy man, or one who works with hides or leather.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,851 Americans carry the last name Hardeman. That puts it at #7,573 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,656 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hardeman 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 Hardeman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 70,656
Census rank
#7,573
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,230 bearers of the surname Hardeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7573rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hardeman, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.4%. The next largest groups are White (38.8%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hardeman
The surname Hardeman is of Dutch origin, with its roots traced back to the Netherlands in the 16th century. The name is derived from the Dutch word "hard," meaning robust or strong, and "man," referring to a person. It likely originated as a descriptive nickname for a physically strong or hardy individual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hardeman surname can be found in the Dutch archives from the city of Utrecht in 1587, where a certain Jan Hardeman is mentioned. Additionally, historical records from the Netherlands indicate that the surname was prevalent in the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel during the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Hardeman name was Pieter Hardeman (1621-1690), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life and genre paintings. His works can be found in several renowned museums, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Louvre in Paris.
As the Dutch engaged in global exploration and trade, the Hardeman surname eventually spread to other parts of the world. In the late 17th century, records show that a family by the name of Hardeman settled in the Dutch colony of Suriname in South America.
In the 18th century, the Hardeman surname found its way to North America, with early records indicating the presence of individuals with this name in the Dutch settlements of New York and New Jersey. One prominent figure was Jacob Hardeman (1735-1814), a successful merchant and landowner in New York who played a role in the American Revolutionary War.
Another notable individual was Thomas Hardeman (1785-1854), an American politician and lawyer who served as a judge in Tennessee. He was also a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives and the Tennessee State Senate.
In the 19th century, the Hardeman surname gained prominence in the southern United States, particularly in Mississippi and Texas. One influential figure was William P. Hardeman (1816-1898), a Baptist preacher and evangelist known for his powerful oratory skills and contributions to the Restoration Movement in Christianity.
As the Hardeman surname spread across different regions and countries, it encountered various spelling variations, such as Hardmann, Hardman, and Hartmann, reflecting regional linguistic influences and adaptations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hardeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Hardeman, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.4%. The next largest groups are White (38.8%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hardeman 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 Hardeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American51.4% · 2,176
- White38.8% · 1,640
- Two or more races5.7% · 242
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 140
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hardeman
Hardeman 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
#7,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,565
+293 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 97 places
2020
#7,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,230
-335 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,208 | 4,272 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,305 | 4,565 | 1.55 | +293 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 97 places |
| 2020 | #7,573 | 4,230 | 1.42 | -335 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 268 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 Hardeman 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 | #7,305 | #7,573 | -3.7% |
| Count | 4,565 | 4,230 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.42 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hardeman bearers went from 4,565 to 4,230 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 268 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,305 to #7,573.
FAQ
Hardeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hardeman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,851 living Americans carry the surname Hardeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,656 residents.
How common is Hardeman?
Hardeman ranks #7,573 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 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 4,230 people with the surname Hardeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,851), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 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 Hardeman.
Has Hardeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hardeman went from 4,565 recorded bearers to 4,230. That is a decrease of 335 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,305 to #7,573.
What does the Census say about the background of Hardeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hardeman, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.4%. The next largest groups are White (38.8%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hardeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.4% (2,176 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hardeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (51.4%), White (38.8%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Hardeman (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 Hardeman mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a tough or hardy man, or one who works with hides or leather. 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 Hardeman (1.42 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 share the surname Hardeman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.