Harland last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Harland

Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "hare land" or "boundary land" in Old English.

Harland, 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 Harland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harland in America

Harland is the 12127th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harland surname appeared 2,570 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Harland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harland 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 12127 11745 3.20%
Count 2,570 2,443 5.07%
Proportion per 100k 0.87 0.91 -4.49%

The history of the last name Harland

The surname Harland is of English origin, originating from the regions of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning "hare" and "land" meaning "land" or "estate". The name likely referred to an area or estate associated with hares or where they were abundant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Harelunt" in Yorkshire. This spelling variation suggests the name's link to the land and its connection to hares.

In the 12th century, the name appeared as "Harelande" in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. These ancient records documented tax payments and landholdings, indicating the Harland family's presence in the region during this period.

The Harland surname evolved over time, with various spellings such as Harland, Harlond, and Harlande appearing in historical records across different regions of England.

Notable individuals with the Harland surname include Sir Robert Harland (1516-1584), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London. Another notable figure was Sir Edward Harland (1831-1895), a prominent shipbuilder and industrialist from Belfast, Ireland, who co-founded the iconic Harland and Wolff shipyard, responsible for constructing the RMS Titanic.

In the literary world, Henry Harland (1861-1905) was a renowned American novelist and editor known for his works such as "The Cardinal's Snuff-Box" and "The Lady Paramount".

Moving to the realm of sports, Herbert Harland (1875-1946) was an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Another notable figure was Sir Ralph Harland (1885-1977), a British civil engineer and architect who designed several iconic buildings, including the Palace of Westminster and the National Gallery in London.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Harland surname throughout history, showcasing its longstanding presence and significance across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harland

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

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 Harland was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 84.44% 2,170
Non-Hispanic Black Only 9.96% 256
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.97% 25
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.66% 17
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.95% 50
Hispanic Origin 2.02% 52

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 Harland has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 84.44% 87.19% -3.20%
Black 9.96% 8.68% 13.73%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.97% 0.94% 3.14%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.66% 0.57% 14.63%
Two or More Races 1.95% 1.47% 28.07%
Hispanic 2.02% 1.15% 54.89%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Harland last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/harland-surname-popularity/.

"Harland last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/harland-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Harland last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/harland-surname-popularity/.

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