2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Harlacker
A surname from German origins typically meaning "little herdsman" or "shepherd boy".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Harlacker. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harlacker 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Harlacker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlacker, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harlacker
The surname Harlacker has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German words "harl" meaning "bristle" or "wire" and "acker" meaning "field" or "farm". This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with wire or bristles on a farm or agricultural setting.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Harlacker name can be found in the parish records of the town of Heilbronn, located in the present-day state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In 1492, a man named Hans Harlacker was listed as a landowner in the village of Neckarsulm, just north of Heilbronn. This provides evidence that the name was already well-established in that region by the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the Harlacker name appeared in various records across southern Germany, particularly in the areas around Stuttgart and Ulm. One notable individual from this time was Jakob Harlacker, a wine merchant from Esslingen who was born in 1521 and died in 1587.
As the Harlacker family spread throughout Germany over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Harlacker, Harrlacker, and Haarlacker. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the town of Pforzheim, where they established a successful metalworking business. Johann Michael Harlacker, born in 1725, was a prominent figure in this trade.
During the 19th century, the Harlacker name began to appear outside of Germany as family members emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Wilhelm Harlacker, who was born in Württemberg in 1832 and later moved to the United States, settling in Ohio.
Other notable Harlackers throughout history include:
1. Friedrich Harlacker (1841-1912), a German architect and educator who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.
2. Hans Harlacker (1877-1954), a German politician and member of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic.
3. Albrecht Harlacker (1892-1972), a German military officer who served in both World Wars.
4. Anneliese Harlacker (1909-1997), a German actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions during the mid-20th century.
5. Erich Harlacker (1924-2008), a German-American engineer and inventor who held numerous patents in the field of aerospace technology.
While the Harlacker name may have originated from humble beginnings in rural Germany, it has since spread across the world and been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including business, politics, the arts, and the military.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harlacker
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlacker, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Harlacker 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 Harlacker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 94
- Black or African American3.0% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harlacker
Harlacker 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,688 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-23 bearers (-18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,678 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 11,688 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -23 bearers (-18.9%) | Down 18,678 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 Harlacker 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 | #137,327 | #156,005 | -13.6% |
| Count | 122 | 99 | -18.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harlacker bearers went from 122 to 99 (-18.9% change). The surname moved down 18,678 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #156,005.
FAQ
Harlacker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harlacker?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Harlacker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Harlacker?
Harlacker ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Harlacker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Harlacker.
Has Harlacker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harlacker went from 122 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 23 (-18.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Harlacker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlacker, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Harlacker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harlacker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Black (3.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Harlacker (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 Harlacker mean?
A surname from German origins typically meaning "little herdsman" or "shepherd boy". 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 Harlacker (0.03 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 are called Harlacker?
You can see how common the surname Harlacker is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.