2000
#1,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,555
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.25
Uncommon Last name
Hargrove
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "grey grove" or "grey thicket."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,173 Americans carry the last name Hargrove. That puts it at #1,817 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,458 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hargrove 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 Hargrove with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,458
Census rank
#1,817
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,336 bearers of the surname Hargrove in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1817th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hargrove, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.5%. The next largest groups are Black (43.0%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hargrove
The surname Hargrove is of English origin, deriving from a place name that refers to a geographical location in the West Midlands county of Shropshire. It is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning "hare" and "graf" meaning "grove" or "copse," indicating a wooded area where hares were abundant.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Shropshire Pipe Rolls of 1260 as "Haregroue." This early spelling variation demonstrates the connection to the area and the etymology of the name. Over time, the name evolved into its modern form of Hargrove.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname Hargrove. However, the place name Haregreave is mentioned in connection with Shropshire, providing further evidence of the name's origins in the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name was John Hargrove, who was born around 1450 in Shropshire. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to live in the area for several generations.
Another notable figure was Sir William Hargrove (1512-1588), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the Protestant Reformation. He played a role in the religious and political events of the 16th century and was known for his loyalty to Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, Edward Hargrove (1635-1703) was a respected clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Fulham in Middlesex. He was known for his theological writings and his contributions to the Church of England.
During the 18th century, Samuel Hargrove (1727-1811) was a prominent merchant and philanthropist in London. He amassed considerable wealth through his trading ventures and was known for his charitable donations to various causes, including the founding of a school for underprivileged children.
In the literary world, the name is associated with the English author and dramatist John Hargrove (1771-1846), who wrote several plays and novels during the early 19th century. His most notable work was the novel "The Wandering Jew," which explored themes of religious intolerance and persecution.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname Hargrove, demonstrating its enduring presence and connection to various regions, professions, and historical events across several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hargrove
Among Census respondents with the surname Hargrove, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.5%. The next largest groups are Black (43.0%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hargrove 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 Hargrove surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.5% · 9,177
- Black or African American43.0% · 8,319
- Two or more races4.9% · 942
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 715
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 85
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hargrove
Hargrove 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
#1,764
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,360
+805 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 6.90
Rank movement Down 88 places
2020
#1,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,336
-1,024 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 6.47
Rank movement Down 53 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,676 | 19,555 | 7.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,764 | 20,360 | 6.90 | +805 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 88 places |
| 2020 | #1,817 | 19,336 | 6.47 | -1,024 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 53 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 Hargrove 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 | #1,764 | #1,817 | -3.0% |
| Count | 20,360 | 19,336 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 6.90 | 6.47 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hargrove bearers went from 20,360 to 19,336 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 53 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,764 to #1,817.
FAQ
Hargrove surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hargrove?
Name Census estimates that about 22,173 living Americans carry the surname Hargrove. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,458 residents.
How common is Hargrove?
Hargrove ranks #1,817 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,336 people with the surname Hargrove. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Hargrove.
Has Hargrove become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hargrove went from 20,360 recorded bearers to 19,336. That is a decrease of 1,024 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,764 to #1,817.
What does the Census say about the background of Hargrove?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hargrove, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.5%. The next largest groups are Black (43.0%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Hargrove in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.5% (9,177 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hargrove appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.5%), Black (43.0%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Hargrove (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 Hargrove mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "grey grove" or "grey thicket." 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 Hargrove (6.47 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 share the surname Hargrove?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.