2000
#67,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 274
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Hardwicke
A locational surname referring to a hard enclosed village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 300 Americans carry the last name Hardwicke. That puts it at #78,629 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,142,514 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hardwicke 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 Hardwicke with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
300
1 in 1,142,514
Census rank
#78,629
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
262
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 262 bearers of the surname Hardwicke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 78629th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hardwicke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hardwicke
The surname Hardwicke originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Hardwick, which has several locations scattered across various counties in England. The name Hardwick itself is composed of the Old English elements "hær" meaning hare and "wīc" meaning a specialized farm or dwelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hardwicke can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hardwic" in reference to landholdings in Derbyshire. This indicates that the surname likely emerged from this area during the 11th century.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the surname appeared in historical records, such as Hardwik, Hardwyk, and Hardwycke. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling conventions of the time.
Notable individuals with the surname Hardwicke include Sir Thomas Hardwicke (1556-1589), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire. Another prominent figure was Sir Cedric Hardwicke (1893-1964), a renowned English actor who appeared in numerous films and stage productions throughout his career.
In the literary world, Philip Hardwicke (1592-1670) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Christian's Ark" published in 1639. Additionally, Thomas Hardwicke (1755-1835) was a renowned British naturalist and artist, known for his contributions to the study of insects and shells.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in its modern spelling, "Hardwicke," can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where a William Hardwicke was documented in 1621.
Overall, the surname Hardwicke has a long and rich history, originating from the Old English place name Hardwick and spanning centuries of recorded instances across various regions of England, with notable individuals contributing to fields such as politics, literature, acting, and natural sciences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hardwicke
Among Census respondents with the surname Hardwicke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hardwicke 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 Hardwicke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 232
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 12
- Two or more races4.2% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hardwicke
Hardwicke 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
#69,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 280
+6 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 2,679 places
2020
#78,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 262
-18 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 8,633 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #67,317 | 274 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #69,996 | 280 | 0.09 | +6 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 2,679 places |
| 2020 | #78,629 | 262 | 0.09 | -18 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 8,633 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 Hardwicke 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 | #69,996 | #78,629 | -12.3% |
| Count | 280 | 262 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hardwicke bearers went from 280 to 262 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 8,633 positions in the national ranking, going from #69,996 to #78,629.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hardwicke
FAQ
Hardwicke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hardwicke?
Name Census estimates that about 300 living Americans carry the surname Hardwicke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,142,514 residents.
How common is Hardwicke?
Hardwicke ranks #78,629 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 262 people with the surname Hardwicke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (300), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hardwicke.
Has Hardwicke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hardwicke went from 280 recorded bearers to 262. That is a decrease of 18 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #69,996 to #78,629.
What does the Census say about the background of Hardwicke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hardwicke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Hardwicke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (232 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hardwicke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Hardwicke (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 Hardwicke mean?
A locational surname referring to a hard enclosed village. 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 Hardwicke (0.09 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 Americans have the surname Hardwicke?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.