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

Harkey, 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 Harkey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harkey in America

Harkey is the 10200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harkey surname appeared 3,158 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 Harkey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harkey 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 Harkey

The surname Harkey is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hare," which referred to the animal, and the suffix "-ey," which denoted a small island or a meadow. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near a meadow or small island where hares were commonly found.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Harkey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were survey records of landholders in England. These rolls mention a person named William Harekey, indicating that the name was already in use during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Harekey, Harekeye, and Harekye, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and written forms common during that era. One notable figure from this period was John Harkey, a merchant from the city of Bristol, who was granted a license to trade in 1387.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name Harkey continued to be found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. In 1487, a record from the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire mentioned a Richard Harkey, who was involved in a land dispute.

The 17th century saw the Harkey surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable individual from this era was William Harkey, a Scottish Covenanter who was imprisoned and exiled for his religious beliefs in the late 1600s.

In the 18th century, the name Harkey appeared in various parish records and census documents across England. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Harkey, a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and was commended for his bravery in battle.

As the Harkey surname continued to spread throughout the 19th century, it became associated with several notable individuals. One such person was John Harkey, a British explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in various parts of the world during his expeditions in the early 1800s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harkey

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

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

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

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