2000
#3,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,775
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.99
Uncommon Last name
Harlan
From an English place name meaning "hare land," or from a German place name meaning "rock land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,979 Americans carry the last name Harlan. That puts it at #3,357 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,613 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harlan 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 Harlan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,613
Census rank
#3,357
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,446 bearers of the surname Harlan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3357th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlan, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harlan
The surname Harlan has its origins in medieval England, derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning hare and "lan" meaning a small clearing or meadow. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a clearing frequented by hares.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Harlan name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Harlene" in reference to a location in Oxfordshire. The name likely evolved from this place name, with various spellings such as Harlene, Harleyne, and Harlayne appearing in historical records throughout the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named William de Harlayne was recorded as a landowner in Warwickshire. He is believed to be one of the earliest documented individuals with the Harlan surname.
During the 16th century, the Harlan family established themselves in Staffordshire, where they held estates and properties. John Harlan, born in 1554, was a prominent member of the family during this time and served as a magistrate in the county.
One of the most famous individuals with the Harlan surname was Sir Edward Harlan, born in 1624. He was a renowned English judge and Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of King Charles II. His legal expertise and decisions had a significant impact on English common law.
Another noteworthy Harlan was Michael Harlan, born in 1675, who was a prominent Quaker minister and author in Pennsylvania. He played a key role in the early Quaker community in the American colonies.
In the 18th century, the Harlan family expanded their presence in the American colonies, with several members settling in various regions. James Harlan, born in 1736 in Pennsylvania, was a soldier and surveyor who served during the American Revolutionary War.
Throughout its history, the Harlan surname has been associated with various place names, including Harlan County in Kentucky, Harlan Township in Ohio, and the town of Harlan in Iowa, among others. These place names serve as a testament to the enduring legacy of the Harlan family in different parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harlan
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlan, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Harlan 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 Harlan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.1% · 8,372
- Black or African American8.7% · 914
- Two or more races4.3% · 454
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 408
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 213
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 85
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harlan
Harlan 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
#3,188
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,339
+564 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 3.84
Rank movement Down 104 places
2020
#3,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,446
-893 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 3.49
Rank movement Down 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,084 | 10,775 | 3.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,188 | 11,339 | 3.84 | +564 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 104 places |
| 2020 | #3,357 | 10,446 | 3.49 | -893 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 169 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 Harlan 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 | #3,188 | #3,357 | -5.3% |
| Count | 11,339 | 10,446 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.84 | 3.49 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harlan bearers went from 11,339 to 10,446 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,188 to #3,357.
FAQ
Harlan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harlan?
Name Census estimates that about 11,979 living Americans carry the surname Harlan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,613 residents.
How common is Harlan?
Harlan ranks #3,357 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,446 people with the surname Harlan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,979), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Harlan.
Has Harlan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harlan went from 11,339 recorded bearers to 10,446. That is a decrease of 893 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,188 to #3,357.
What does the Census say about the background of Harlan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlan, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Harlan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (8,372 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harlan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.1%), Black (8.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Harlan (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 Harlan mean?
From an English place name meaning "hare land," or from a German place name meaning "rock land." 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 Harlan (3.49 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 Harlan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.