2000
#40,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 510
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Harkrider
A surname derived from an English occupational name for someone who rode horses.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 600 Americans carry the last name Harkrider. That puts it at #44,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 571,257 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harkrider 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
600
1 in 571,257
Census rank
#44,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
523
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 523 bearers of the surname Harkrider in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harkrider, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harkrider
The surname HARKRIDER has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Haarkrieder," which refers to a person who made or sold hair ribbons or hair accessories. The name likely originated in the region of Saxony, where the textile industry was prevalent during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HARKRIDER can be found in the parish records of the town of Zwickau, Saxony, in the year 1572. The entry mentions a certain Hans Harkrider, who was a skilled ribbon maker and merchant. This suggests that the name was already established as a occupational surname by the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the HARKRIDER name began to appear in other regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Dresden and Leipzig. This coincided with the growth of the textile industry in these cities, where many HARKRIDER families likely found employment as ribbon makers or merchants.
One notable figure bearing the HARKRIDER surname was Johann Friedrich Harkrider (1689-1756), a renowned Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony. He wrote several influential works on theology and church history, which were widely read throughout Europe during the 18th century.
As the HARKRIDER family spread across Germany and beyond, the spelling of the name evolved slightly over time. Variations such as HAARKRIEDER, HARKRITER, and HARKREITER can be found in historical records from the 18th and 19th centuries.
In the 19th century, the HARKRIDER name gained some prominence in the world of music. Carl Harkrider (1812-1879) was a respected composer and conductor from Dresden, known for his operas and orchestral works. His son, Emil Harkrider (1841-1901), followed in his footsteps and became a celebrated pianist and music teacher.
Another notable figure was Wilhelmine Harkrider (1788-1865), a pioneering educator from Saxony. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the region, providing educational opportunities for young women at a time when such institutions were rare.
As the HARKRIDER family continued to spread throughout Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, the name has maintained its strong association with its German roots and the textile industry from which it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harkrider
Among Census respondents with the surname Harkrider, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Harkrider 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 Harkrider surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 472
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 34
- Two or more races2.3% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 4
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harkrider
Harkrider 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
#44,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 486
-24 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 3,873 places
2020
#44,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 523
+37 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #40,397 | 510 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,270 | 486 | 0.16 | -24 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 3,873 places |
| 2020 | #44,282 | 523 | 0.17 | +37 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 12 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 Harkrider 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 | #44,270 | #44,282 | -0.0% |
| Count | 486 | 523 | 7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.17 | 9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harkrider bearers went from 486 to 523 (+7.6% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,270 to #44,282.
FAQ
Harkrider surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harkrider?
Name Census estimates that about 600 living Americans carry the surname Harkrider. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 571,257 residents.
How common is Harkrider?
Harkrider ranks #44,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 523 people with the surname Harkrider. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (600), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Harkrider.
Has Harkrider become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harkrider went from 486 recorded bearers to 523. That is an increase of 37 (+7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #44,270 to #44,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Harkrider?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harkrider, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Harkrider in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (472 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harkrider appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (6.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Harkrider (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 Harkrider mean?
A surname derived from an English occupational name for someone who rode horses. 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 Harkrider (0.17 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 Harkrider?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.