2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Harlor
A Middle English and Old French variant of the surname "Harlor" referring to a vagabond or roamer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Harlor. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harlor 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Harlor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlor, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harlor
The surname Harlor is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words 'hear' meaning 'army' and 'loer' meaning 'servant' or 'attendant'. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who served in the army or attended to a military leader.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Harlor can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as 'Herlor', likely a variant spelling of the same surname.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named William Harlor was mentioned in the records of St. Mary's Priory in York. He was a landowner and benefactor of the priory, having donated a portion of his estate to the religious order in 1267.
During the 14th century, a man named John Harlor was recorded as a merchant in the city of Bristol. He was involved in the wool trade and is mentioned in various business transactions from that time.
In the late 15th century, a Sir Thomas Harlor was a knight and member of the court of King Henry VII. He was known for his military service and was granted lands in Gloucestershire for his loyalty to the crown.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Harlor, who lived in the late 16th century. She was a renowned herbalist and author of a book titled "The Herbal Compendium", which documented the medicinal uses of various plants and herbs.
In the 17th century, a man named Robert Harlor was a prominent figure in the English Civil War. He fought on the side of the Parliamentarians and was noted for his bravery in several battles against the Royalist forces.
The surname Harlor has also been found in various place names throughout England, such as Harlow in Essex, which was originally spelled 'Herlou' or 'Herlawe' in ancient records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harlor
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlor, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Harlor 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 Harlor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 108
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harlor
Harlor 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+8 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,877 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-12 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 1,877 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 12,963 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 Harlor 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 | #129,825 | #142,788 | -10.0% |
| Count | 131 | 119 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harlor bearers went from 131 to 119 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 12,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #142,788.
FAQ
Harlor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harlor?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Harlor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Harlor?
Harlor ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Harlor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Harlor.
Has Harlor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harlor went from 131 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Harlor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlor, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Harlor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harlor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Black (1.7%). 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 Harlor (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 Harlor mean?
A Middle English and Old French variant of the surname "Harlor" referring to a vagabond or roamer. 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 Harlor (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Harlor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.