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

Hardy, 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 Hardy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hardy in America

Hardy is the 399th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hardy surname appeared 80,252 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 27 people would have the surname Hardy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hardy 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 Hardy

The surname Hardy is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "hardi" meaning "bold" or "brave." It first appeared in Normandy, France, during the Middle Ages.

The name likely originated as a nickname given to someone who displayed traits of courage and bravery. It may also have been used to describe someone with a robust or hardy physical constitution.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hardy surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest. The name is listed as "Hardingus" in this historical document.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Hardy de Caux was a Norman nobleman and crusader who participated in the Third Crusade alongside Richard the Lionheart. He is mentioned in several chronicles from that era.

During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as "Hardi," "Hardie," and "Hardye" in different regions of England and France.

Sir Thomas Hardy (1369-1439) was a prominent English soldier and politician who served as the Captain of Guînes Castle in Calais during the Hundred Years' War. He was also a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire.

In the 16th century, Thomas Hardy (1533-1599) was an English scholar and biographer who wrote a famous biography of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Another notable figure was René Hardy (1572-1632), a French poet and dramatist who was part of the literary circle known as the Pléiade. He is best known for his pastoral poetry and plays.

In the 18th century, Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy (1769-1839) was a British naval officer who served as the captain of HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar. He was also a close friend and confidant of Admiral Lord Nelson.

The Hardy surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Hardy's Gate in Cheshire, England, and Hardyston Township in New Jersey, United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hardy

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

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

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

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