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

Hardges, 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 Hardges surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hardges in America

Hardges is the 79598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hardges surname appeared 239 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hardges.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hardges 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 Hardges

The surname HARDGES has its origins in the northwestern region of Germany, where it first appeared around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Germanic word "hard," meaning brave or hardy, combined with the suffix "ges," which indicated a family or group association. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who was considered a courageous or resilient individual.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HARDGES name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dated around 1190. In this text, a person named "Hardo Hardges" is mentioned as a landowner in the vicinity of Hanover.

During the 13th century, the HARDGES name began to spread across various parts of northern Germany, particularly in the areas around Bremen and Hamburg. In the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a compilation of legal records from the city of Bremen, there are several references to individuals bearing the HARDGES surname, such as "Johannes Hardges" (1274) and "Hildebrand Hardges" (1298).

As the name continued to evolve, variations in spelling emerged, including "Hardgess," "Hardgies," and "Hartges." These were likely influenced by local dialects and scribal interpretations.

One noteworthy individual with the HARDGES surname was Hans Hardges (1490-1560), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Lübeck. He played a significant role in the trade relations between the Hanseatic League and other European nations during the 16th century.

Another notable figure was Katharina Hardges (1525-1597), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Cologne. Her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and natural remedies was widely respected in the region.

In the 17th century, the HARDGES name appeared in various church records and census documents across northern Germany, including the Kirchenbücher of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Ortssippenbücher of Schleswig-Holstein.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England can be traced back to John Hardges (1612-1689), a merchant who emigrated from Hamburg and settled in London. He established a successful import-export business and was a prominent member of the city's German community.

As the HARDGES family continued to spread across Europe and beyond, they maintained a strong presence in their ancestral homeland, with many members contributing to various fields, including commerce, academia, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hardges

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

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

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

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