2000
#23,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,001
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Haren
A locational surname derived from a place called Haren, possibly in the Netherlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,218 Americans carry the last name Haren. That puts it at #24,532 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 281,408 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haren 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.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 281,408
Census rank
#24,532
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,062 bearers of the surname Haren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24532nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haren, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haren
The surname HAREN is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Dutch word "haren," which means "hair" or "coarse grass." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who had a distinctive hairstyle or perhaps lived in an area known for its coarse vegetation.
One of the earliest known records of the HAREN surname can be found in the Dutch province of Friesland, where it was documented in the 14th century. During this time, the spelling variations included "Haren," "Haeren," and "Haaren." It is likely that the name was originally associated with a specific location or region within Friesland, as place names were commonly used as surnames in that era.
In the 15th century, the HAREN surname appeared in several historical documents, including tax records and land registries. One notable individual from this period was Jan van Haren, a merchant and landowner who was born in the town of Leeuwarden in 1432. He is mentioned in various business transactions and property deeds from the mid-to-late 1400s.
As the HAREN surname spread beyond the Netherlands, it was also recorded in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and Belgium. In the 16th century, a German scholar named Onno Klopp van Haren (1521-1588) gained recognition for his work in philosophy and theology. He was born in the city of Emden, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time.
The 17th century saw the emergence of a well-known Dutch poet and playwright named Willem van Haren (1626-1708). He was born in Leeuwarden and is remembered for his contributions to Dutch literature, including several popular plays and satirical works.
Another prominent figure with the HAREN surname was Onno Zwier van Haren (1713-1779), a Dutch statesman and writer. He served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies and later became a member of the States-General, the highest governing body in the Netherlands at the time.
In the 19th century, a Dutch military officer named Willem Frederik Constantijn Haren (1801-1878) gained recognition for his service in the Dutch East Indies. He held various leadership positions within the colonial army and played a significant role in the ongoing conflicts with local resistance movements.
These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence of the HAREN surname across various regions and historical periods. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Netherlands, it has since been adopted and carried on by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haren
Among Census respondents with the surname Haren, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Haren 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 Haren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 935
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 54
- Two or more races3.1% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 18
- Black or African American1.2% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haren
Haren 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
#24,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,041
+40 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 542 places
2020
#24,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,062
+21 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,617 | 1,001 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,159 | 1,041 | 0.35 | +40 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 542 places |
| 2020 | #24,532 | 1,062 | 0.36 | +21 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 373 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 Haren 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 | #24,159 | #24,532 | -1.5% |
| Count | 1,041 | 1,062 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.36 | 1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haren bearers went from 1,041 to 1,062 (+2.0% change). The surname moved down 373 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,159 to #24,532.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Haren
FAQ
Haren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haren?
Name Census estimates that about 1,218 living Americans carry the surname Haren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 281,408 residents.
How common is Haren?
Haren ranks #24,532 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 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 1,062 people with the surname Haren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 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 Haren.
Has Haren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haren went from 1,041 recorded bearers to 1,062. That is an increase of 21 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,159 to #24,532.
What does the Census say about the background of Haren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haren, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Haren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (935 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Haren (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 Haren mean?
A locational surname derived from a place called Haren, possibly in the Netherlands. 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 Haren (0.36 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 have the surname Haren?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.