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

Hardnick, 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 Hardnick surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hardnick in America

Hardnick is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hardnick surname appeared 124 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 Hardnick.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hardnick 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 Hardnick

The surname "HARDNICK" is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, Germany, during the late medieval period, possibly around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German words "hart" meaning "hard" or "hardy" and "nick" which could refer to a person with a strong or unyielding character.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a document from the town of Meissen, in Saxony, dated 1487, which mentions a certain "Hans Hardnick" as a local landowner. The name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname, referring to an individual's physical or personality traits.

In the 16th century, there are records of a "Jörg Hardnick" from the city of Leipzig, who was a member of the local guild of blacksmiths, suggesting a possible connection between the name and occupations involving metalwork or other physically demanding trades.

By the 17th century, the name had spread to other regions of Germany, with records showing families bearing the surname "Hardnick" in cities like Berlin and Nuremberg. During this time, the name may have also been influenced by the German word "harnisch," which means "armor" or "coat of mail," further reinforcing its association with strength and resilience.

One notable individual with the surname "Hardnick" was Johann Hardnick (1678-1741), a Lutheran theologian and academic who served as the rector of the University of Jena in the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, the name appeared in historical records related to the German migration to North America, with a family named Hardnick settling in Pennsylvania in the 1840s. August Hardnick (1822-1897), a member of this family, became a prominent businessman and landowner in the state.

Other individuals of note bearing the surname "Hardnick" include Friedrich Hardnick (1856-1923), a German artist known for his landscape paintings, and Elise Hardnick (1871-1938), a German-born educator and women's rights activist who worked in the United States.

While the surname "HARDNICK" is relatively uncommon today, its origins and historical associations reflect a sense of strength, resilience, and perseverance, traits that were likely valued in the communities where it first emerged.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hardnick

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

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

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

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