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

Hardware, 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 Hardware surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hardware in America

Hardware is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hardware surname appeared 133 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 Hardware.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hardware 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 Hardware

The surname HARDWARE has its origins in the British Isles, specifically England, and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hord" and "waru," which together mean "keeper of goods" or "keeper of treasure." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone whose occupation involved guarding or protecting valuable possessions.

In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Hordwaru" or "Hordware," reflecting its roots in Old English. As time passed, the spelling evolved to its modern form, "HARDWARE." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record from 1273, which mentions a person named William Hordwaru.

The HARDWARE name appeared in several historical documents throughout the centuries. For instance, the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1301 include a reference to a man named John Hordware. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 mention a certain Thomas Hordware.

Interestingly, the name HARDWARE has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William HARDWARE (c. 1285 – c. 1350), a merchant and landowner from Oxfordshire, England. Another notable figure was John HARDWARE (c. 1410 – 1478), a prominent clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, a person named Thomas HARDWARE (c. 1520 – 1588) gained recognition as a skilled architect and master mason. He was responsible for the construction of several churches and buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Moving into the 17th century, we find mention of a certain Richard HARDWARE (1633 – 1695), who was a renowned scholar and author. He wrote several books on subjects ranging from philosophy to theology, and his works were widely read and influential during his lifetime.

Finally, in the 19th century, a man named Edward HARDWARE (1812 – 1887) made a name for himself as a successful industrialist and entrepreneur. He founded a company that manufactured and sold various hardware products, which likely contributed to the association between the surname and the modern meaning of the word "hardware."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hardware

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

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

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

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