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

Harkley, 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 Harkley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harkley in America

Harkley is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harkley surname appeared 106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Harkley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harkley 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 Harkley

The surname Harkley is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "herc" meaning "heron" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a meadow frequented by herons.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Hercleia" in reference to a village in Worcestershire. This village may have been the ancestral home of the Harkley family and the source of their surname.

In the 13th century, records show a John de Harkley who was a landowner in Staffordshire. This is one of the earliest known individuals to bear the Harkley name. Around the same time, a Richard Harkley is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279.

During the 14th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing a Thomas Harkley in Yorkshire in 1379 and a William Harkley in Lincolnshire in 1392.

One notable figure with the Harkley surname was Sir Edward Harkley (1598-1657), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Leominster during the Long Parliament. He was a staunch Parliamentarian during the English Civil War and played a role in the trial and execution of King Charles I.

Another historical figure was Reverend Robert Harkley (1638-1707), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Stisted in Essex. He wrote several religious works, including "The Protestant's Vade Mecum" and "The Penitent Pardon'd."

In the 18th century, a John Harkley (1728-1792) was a notable British engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing an early form of the spinning jenny, a key innovation in the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.

Towards the end of the 19th century, a George Harkley (1867-1945) gained recognition as a prominent architect in London. He designed several notable buildings, including the Strand Palace Hotel and the Savoy Court Hotel.

While the Harkley surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely through migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harkley

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

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

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

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