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

Harger, 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 Harger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harger in America

Harger is the 11484th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harger surname appeared 2,740 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Harger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harger 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 Harger

The surname HARGER originates from England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be a locational surname derived from the old English word "herg," which means a heron, referring to someone who lived near a place where herons nested or were prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HARGER can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a Radulfus Herger is mentioned. The surname is also found in various medieval records and documents, such as the Feet of Fines for Norfolk in 1285, where a Robert Hergere is listed.

The surname HARGER may have also been influenced by the Old French word "heronner," which means "to hawk" or "to hunt herons." This connection suggests that the name could have been associated with those who practiced falconry or hunted herons for sport or sustenance.

In the 16th century, the HARGER surname appears in various church records and parish registers, including in Warwickshire, where a John Harger was christened in 1558. Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Harger, born in 1620 in Bedfordshire, who later emigrated to America and settled in Virginia.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the HARGER surname spread across England, with notable individuals including William Harger (1635-1702), a prominent merchant and landowner in Staffordshire, and John Harger (1705-1778), a renowned clockmaker from London.

Other historical figures bearing the HARGER surname include:

1. Thomas Harger (1796-1876), an English architect and surveyor known for his work on various churches and public buildings in Gloucestershire.

2. Henry Harger (1825-1899), a British civil engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of early steam engine designs.

3. Charles Harger (1853-1916), an American botanist and naturalist, notable for his research on the flora of Pennsylvania and his contributions to the study of mosses and liverworts.

4. Wilbur Olin Harger (1849-1919), an American lawyer and politician, who served as the 51st Governor of Kansas from 1915 to 1917.

5. Gwendoline Courtney Harger (1892-1965), a British painter and illustrator, known for her portraits and landscape paintings, and her work illustrating various books and magazines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harger

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

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

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

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