2000
#13,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,089
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Harjo
A Native American Muscogee surname, likely derived from the Creek word "harjo" meaning "brave" or "warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,373 Americans carry the last name Harjo. That puts it at #13,956 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,439 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harjo 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
2.4K
1 in 144,439
Census rank
#13,956
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,069 bearers of the surname Harjo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13956th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harjo, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 68.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.1%) and White (12.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harjo
The surname HARJO originated from the Muscogee Creek Native American tribe, which is located primarily in the Southeastern United States. The name is believed to have derived from the Muscogee Creek word "harjo," meaning "crazy" or "wild." This suggests that the surname may have been given to an individual who exhibited unconventional or eccentric behavior.
The Muscogee Creek tribe has a rich history that can be traced back to the 16th century when they inhabited areas of present-day Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Records of the HARJO surname can be found in various historical documents, including treaties and land records between the Muscogee Creek tribe and the United States government.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname HARJO was Opothle Yaholo, also known as Opothleyaholo or Opothleyoholo HARJO, a prominent leader of the Creek Nation in the early 19th century. He was born around 1760 and played a significant role in the Creek War of 1813-1814, leading a faction of the Creeks against American forces.
Another notable figure was Chitto HARJO, a Muscogee Creek leader born around 1846. He was a prominent figure in the Creek Nation's resistance against the allotment of tribal lands and the assimilation policies of the United States government in the late 19th century. Chitto HARJO led a group of Creek traditionalists known as the "Crazy Snakes" or "Harjo Band," which fiercely opposed the encroachment of white settlers and the loss of tribal lands.
In the early 20th century, Levi HARJO, born in 1872, was a respected member of the Creek Nation and served as a delegate to the Creek National Council. He played a crucial role in the negotiation and ratification of the Creek Allotment Agreement of 1901, which aimed to protect the rights and lands of the Creek people.
Another notable individual was Woodrow HARJO, born in 1933, a renowned Muscogee Creek artist and potter. He was instrumental in reviving and preserving the traditional pottery-making techniques of the Creek Nation, and his works are celebrated for their intricate designs and cultural significance.
Lastly, Joy HARJO, born in 1951, is a celebrated Native American poet, musician, and playwright. She is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation and has received numerous accolades for her literary works, including the prestigious Poet Laureate of the United States from 2019 to 2022. Her poetry often explores themes of indigenous identity, spirituality, and the connection to the land.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harjo
Among Census respondents with the surname Harjo, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 68.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.1%) and White (12.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Harjo 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 Harjo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native68.8% · 1,424
- Two or more races14.1% · 291
- White12.2% · 253
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 76
- Black or African American0.9% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harjo
Harjo 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
#13,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,172
+83 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 531 places
2020
#13,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,069
-103 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 53 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,372 | 2,089 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,903 | 2,172 | 0.74 | +83 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 531 places |
| 2020 | #13,956 | 2,069 | 0.69 | -103 bearers (-4.7%) | 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 Harjo 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 | #13,903 | #13,956 | -0.4% |
| Count | 2,172 | 2,069 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.69 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harjo bearers went from 2,172 to 2,069 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 53 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,903 to #13,956.
FAQ
Harjo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harjo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,373 living Americans carry the surname Harjo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,439 residents.
How common is Harjo?
Harjo ranks #13,956 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,069 people with the surname Harjo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,373), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Harjo.
Has Harjo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harjo went from 2,172 recorded bearers to 2,069. That is a decrease of 103 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,903 to #13,956.
What does the Census say about the background of Harjo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harjo, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 68.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.1%) and White (12.2%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Harjo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.8% (1,424 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harjo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (68.8%), Two or More Races (14.1%), White (12.2%). 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 Harjo (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 Harjo mean?
A Native American Muscogee surname, likely derived from the Creek word "harjo" meaning "brave" or "warrior." 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 Harjo (0.69 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 Harjo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.