2000
#11,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,416
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Harmer
An English occupational surname referring to someone who works with armor or is an armor-maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,774 Americans carry the last name Harmer. That puts it at #12,283 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,560 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harmer 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 Harmer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,560
Census rank
#12,283
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,419 bearers of the surname Harmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12283rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harmer
The surname Harmer is an occupational name of English origin, derived from the Old English word "haremere," which means a person who hunted or drove hares. It first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Haremer" in Essex and Suffolk counties.
The name likely originated in the rural areas of eastern England, where hunting and trapping hares were common occupations during the Middle Ages. Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Harmer, with variations such as Harmar and Harmore also being recorded.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was William Harmer, who lived in Buckinghamshire in the 13th century. Another notable figure was John Harmer, a merchant from London, who was mentioned in records from the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the parish records of several English counties, including Hertfordshire, Essex, and Sussex. One prominent individual from this period was Richard Harmer (c. 1535-1610), a clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Winchester Cathedral.
During the 17th century, the Harmer family established themselves in various parts of England, with branches appearing in counties such as Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, and Lancashire. One notable figure from this time was Sir John Harmer (1620-1689), a wealthy landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
In the 18th century, the name continued to spread across England, with individuals bearing the surname appearing in records from counties like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Somerset. One significant individual from this period was Thomas Harmer (1715-1788), a renowned biblical scholar and author who published several works on the interpretation of the Old Testament.
As the British Empire expanded, the Harmer surname also found its way to other parts of the world. One notable figure was William Harmer (1786-1853), a surveyor and explorer who worked for the East India Company and helped map parts of India and Southeast Asia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Harmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Harmer 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 Harmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,238
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 80
- Two or more races2.1% · 52
- Black or African American1.2% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harmer
Harmer 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
#12,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,515
+99 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 498 places
2020
#12,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,419
-96 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 79 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,864 | 2,416 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,362 | 2,515 | 0.85 | +99 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 498 places |
| 2020 | #12,283 | 2,419 | 0.81 | -96 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 79 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 Harmer 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 | #12,362 | #12,283 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,515 | 2,419 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.81 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harmer bearers went from 2,515 to 2,419 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 79 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,362 to #12,283.
FAQ
Harmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harmer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,774 living Americans carry the surname Harmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,560 residents.
How common is Harmer?
Harmer ranks #12,283 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,419 people with the surname Harmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,774), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Harmer.
Has Harmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harmer went from 2,515 recorded bearers to 2,419. That is a decrease of 96 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,362 to #12,283.
What does the Census say about the background of Harmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Harmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,238 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Harmer (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 Harmer mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who works with armor or is an armor-maker. 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 Harmer (0.81 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 have the last name Harmer?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Harmer at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.