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

Harding, 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 Harding surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harding in America

Harding is the 871st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harding surname appeared 39,787 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Harding.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harding 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 Harding

The surname Harding is of Anglo-Saxon origin, originating in England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "harding," which means hardy or brave. The name was initially given as a nickname to someone who displayed these characteristics.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Harding can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hardingus." This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name Harding was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Several place names in these regions, such as Harding's Field and Harding's Farm, likely originated from individuals bearing this surname.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Walter Harding held the position of Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1235 to 1238. Another prominent individual was Thomas Harding, who served as the Lord Chancellor of England under King Richard III in the late 15th century.

The name Harding also has connections to the English Civil War. One of the most famous bearers of this surname was Sir Henry Harding, a Royalist army officer who fought for King Charles I. He was born in 1604 and died in 1669.

During the 19th century, a distinguished individual named John Harding became known as a renowned cartographer and mapmaker. He was born in 1805 and produced numerous detailed maps of counties and regions across England.

Another notable figure was Stephen Harding, a Cistercian monk who played a significant role in the establishment of the Cistercian Order in the 12th century. He was born around 1060 and is credited with founding the influential Cistercian monastery at Cîteaux in France.

Throughout history, the Harding surname has been associated with various professions, including clergy, military, cartography, and other fields. Its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period, and it has maintained a presence in England and other parts of the English-speaking world for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harding

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!