2000
#5,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,635
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.09
Rare Last name
Harkness
From an English place name, derived from the Old English words "heorh" meaning "heap" and "næss" meaning "headland."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,369 Americans carry the last name Harkness. That puts it at #5,971 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,816 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harkness 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 Harkness with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.4K
1 in 53,816
Census rank
#5,971
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,554 bearers of the surname Harkness in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5971st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harkness, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harkness
The surname Harkness originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "hara" meaning "hare" and "næss" meaning "headland" or "promontory." This name likely referred to a physical feature of the landscape, suggesting a headland or hill where hares were found. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century in Yorkshire.
One of the earliest documented references to the Harkness name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166-1167, where a person named Radulfus de Harenesse is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Harenesse," provides insight into the name's evolution over time. Another early record comes from the Curia Regis Rolls of 1208, which mentions a William de Harenesse.
The Harkness name has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Harnesse in Yorkshire and Harness in Staffordshire. These place names likely originated from the same Old English roots as the surname, further reinforcing the name's connection to the landscape.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Harkness surname. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Robert Harkness (c.1510-1592), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1585-1586. Another notable figure was Sir William Harkness (1597-1671), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1662 to 1671.
In the literary world, Edward S. Harkness (1874-1940) was an American philanthropist and patron of the arts, best known for his substantial donations to Yale University and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Additionally, George Harkness (1882-1963) was a Scottish-American theologian and professor at various universities, including Syracuse University and the University of Chicago.
One of the most remarkable individuals with the Harkness surname was Margaret Harkness (1854-1923), an English novelist and social reformer. She was a prominent voice in the late 19th century, advocating for improved living conditions for the working class through her writing and activism.
The Harkness name has a rich history rooted in the English landscape and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from merchants and politicians to philanthropists and social reformers. Its enduring presence throughout the centuries serves as a testament to its significance in British genealogy and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harkness
Among Census respondents with the surname Harkness, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Harkness 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 Harkness surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 4,509
- Black or African American10.4% · 580
- Two or more races3.7% · 207
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 192
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harkness
Harkness 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
#5,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,783
+148 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Down 305 places
2020
#5,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,554
-229 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.86
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,648 | 5,635 | 2.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,953 | 5,783 | 1.96 | +148 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 305 places |
| 2020 | #5,971 | 5,554 | 1.86 | -229 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 18 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 Harkness 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 | #5,953 | #5,971 | -0.3% |
| Count | 5,783 | 5,554 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.96 | 1.86 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harkness bearers went from 5,783 to 5,554 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,953 to #5,971.
FAQ
Harkness surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harkness?
Name Census estimates that about 6,369 living Americans carry the surname Harkness. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,816 residents.
How common is Harkness?
Harkness ranks #5,971 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,554 people with the surname Harkness. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,369), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Harkness.
Has Harkness become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harkness went from 5,783 recorded bearers to 5,554. That is a decrease of 229 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,953 to #5,971.
What does the Census say about the background of Harkness?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harkness, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Harkness in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (4,509 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harkness appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Black (10.4%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Harkness (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 Harkness mean?
From an English place name, derived from the Old English words "heorh" meaning "heap" and "næss" meaning "headland." 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 Harkness (1.86 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 have the last name Harkness?
Find out how many people are called Harkness on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.