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

Hardin, 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 Hardin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hardin in America

Hardin is the 817th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hardin surname appeared 42,469 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Hardin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hardin 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 Hardin

The surname Hardin is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hara" and "dun," meaning "hare hill" or "hill where hares are found." This name likely originated as a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near a hill known for its abundance of hares.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Hardin can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Haradun." This historical record suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in England.

During the Middle Ages, the name Hardin was primarily concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire in northern England. Various spellings emerged over time, including Hardin, Hardyn, Hardinge, and Harding.

One notable bearer of the Hardin surname was Sir Robert Harding (c. 1516-1574), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1565. Another prominent figure was John Harding (c. 1378-1465), an English chronicler and poet known for his work "Harding's Chronicle."

In the 17th century, the Hardin surname gained prominence in Scotland. Sir Robert Harding (1701-1765), a Scottish politician and judge, was appointed Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in 1764.

As the name spread across the British Isles, it also found its way to North America during the colonial era. Benjamin Hardin (1784-1852) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Kentucky.

Another noteworthy bearer of the Hardin surname was John Hardin (1753-1792), an American military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. He was killed in a skirmish with Native Americans in what is now Ohio.

Throughout its long history, the Hardin surname has been associated with various place names, such as Harden in Wiltshire, England, and Harden in Roxburghshire, Scotland, further reflecting its topographic origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hardin

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

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

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

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