2000
#3,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.37
Uncommon Last name
Hardman
An English occupational surname referring to a tough, strong, or brave man, often a fighter or bodyguard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,362 Americans carry the last name Hardman. That puts it at #3,829 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,078 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hardman 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 Hardman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,078
Census rank
#3,829
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,036 bearers of the surname Hardman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3829th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hardman, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hardman
The surname Hardman is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a descriptive surname derived from the Old English words 'heard' meaning 'hardy' or 'brave' and 'man' meaning 'man'. The name was initially given as a nickname to individuals who were considered brave, hardy, or strong.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Hardman appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where it is listed as 'Hardeman'. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the 12th century.
In the 13th century, the surname Hardman can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1205, where it is recorded as 'Hardeman de Sywelle'. The inclusion of the place name 'Sywelle' (modern-day Sywell in Northamptonshire) suggests that the individual was from that area.
One notable historical figure with the surname Hardman was Sir Robert Hardman (c. 1510-1575), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1564-1565. He was a prominent figure in the city's mercantile community and played a role in the expansion of English trade with the Continent.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Thomas Hardman (1787-1857), an English inventor and engineer who is credited with developing the first commercially successful screw-cutting lathe in 1800. His invention revolutionized the manufacturing of threaded components and played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution.
In the literary world, Ralph Hardman (1788-1858) was an English poet and writer known for his works such as 'The Hermit of Warkworth' and 'The Lancashire Dialect'. His writings captured the local dialects and traditions of his native Lancashire.
The surname Hardman also has variants such as Hardeman and Hardeman, which can be found in historical records from various regions of England.
Overall, the surname Hardman has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with its origins rooted in the Old English language. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, inventors, and writers, who have left their mark on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hardman
Among Census respondents with the surname Hardman, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hardman 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 Hardman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.3% · 7,255
- Black or African American11.4% · 1,031
- Two or more races4.0% · 363
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 303
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hardman
Hardman 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
#3,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,430
+329 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 3.20
Rank movement Down 169 places
2020
#3,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,036
-394 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 3.02
Rank movement Down 74 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,586 | 9,101 | 3.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,755 | 9,430 | 3.20 | +329 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 169 places |
| 2020 | #3,829 | 9,036 | 3.02 | -394 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 74 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 Hardman 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 | #3,755 | #3,829 | -2.0% |
| Count | 9,430 | 9,036 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.20 | 3.02 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hardman bearers went from 9,430 to 9,036 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 74 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,755 to #3,829.
FAQ
Hardman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hardman?
Name Census estimates that about 10,362 living Americans carry the surname Hardman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,078 residents.
How common is Hardman?
Hardman ranks #3,829 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,036 people with the surname Hardman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,362), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Hardman.
Has Hardman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hardman went from 9,430 recorded bearers to 9,036. That is a decrease of 394 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,755 to #3,829.
What does the Census say about the background of Hardman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hardman, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Hardman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (7,255 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hardman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.3%), Black (11.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Hardman (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 Hardman mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a tough, strong, or brave man, often a fighter or bodyguard. 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 Hardman (3.02 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 are called Hardman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Hardman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.