2000
#1,284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,241
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.36
Uncommon Last name
Harden
An English occupational surname referring to a tough or enduring person, or a maker of hards (fabric).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,675 Americans carry the last name Harden. That puts it at #1,333 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,550 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harden 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 Harden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
30K
1 in 11,550
Census rank
#1,333
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,878 bearers of the surname Harden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1333rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harden, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Black (35.0%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harden
The surname HARDEN is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "hærdenu," which means a place overgrown with hardy plants or shrubs. This name likely referred to someone who lived in or near such a place.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname HARDEN can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Hardene." This document was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property rights in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
During the medieval period, variations of the name appeared in various records, including "Hardyn," "Hardene," and "Harden." These spellings reflect the different dialects and regional pronunciations prevalent at the time.
One notable bearer of the HARDEN surname was John Harden (c. 1470-1549), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, England. He served as a member of the Guild of Corpus Christi and was a benefactor to the city of York.
In the 16th century, the name HARDEN appeared in the records of the Elizabethan era. William Harden (c. 1530-1599) was a prominent figure in the English Reformation and served as a member of the Privy Council under Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable individual with the HARDEN surname was Sir Robert Harden (1585-1654), a Member of Parliament and a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War. He played a crucial role in the defense of the city of London against the Royalist forces.
In the 18th century, the HARDEN name was associated with several authors and scholars. James Harden (1714-1783) was a renowned Scottish poet and playwright, best known for his satirical works on contemporary society.
The 19th century saw the HARDEN surname spread across the British Empire. One notable figure was Sir Henry Harden (1820-1895), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 1879 to 1884.
Throughout history, the HARDEN surname has also been linked to various place names, such as Harden in Wiltshire, England, and Harden Moss in Northumberland, England. These locations likely took their names from the original Old English word "hærdenu," further reinforcing the surname's connection to areas overgrown with hardy plants or shrubs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harden
Among Census respondents with the surname Harden, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Black (35.0%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Harden 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 Harden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.6% · 14,388
- Black or African American35.0% · 9,064
- Two or more races5.1% · 1,324
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 795
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 182
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 125
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harden
Harden 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
#1,322
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,617
+1,376 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 9.02
Rank movement Down 38 places
2020
#1,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,878
-739 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 8.66
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,284 | 25,241 | 9.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,322 | 26,617 | 9.02 | +1,376 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 38 places |
| 2020 | #1,333 | 25,878 | 8.66 | -739 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 11 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 Harden 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 | #1,322 | #1,333 | -0.8% |
| Count | 26,617 | 25,878 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 9.02 | 8.66 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harden bearers went from 26,617 to 25,878 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,322 to #1,333.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Harden
FAQ
Harden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harden?
Name Census estimates that about 29,675 living Americans carry the surname Harden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,550 residents.
How common is Harden?
Harden ranks #1,333 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,878 people with the surname Harden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,675), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Harden.
Has Harden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harden went from 26,617 recorded bearers to 25,878. That is a decrease of 739 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,322 to #1,333.
What does the Census say about the background of Harden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harden, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Black (35.0%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Harden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.6% (14,388 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.6%), Black (35.0%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Harden (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 Harden mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a tough or enduring person, or a maker of hards (fabric). 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 Harden (8.66 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 Harden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.