2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Harnedy
A variant spelling of an Irish surname derived from Ó hArrachtáin meaning descendant of Arrachtán.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Harnedy. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harnedy 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Harnedy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harnedy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harnedy
The surname "HARNEDY" is of Irish origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period in Ireland. It is believed to have emerged as a variant of the more common Irish surname "O'Hernaghty" or "O'Hernidy," which itself is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Odharnacht," meaning "rough" or "coarse."
The earliest known records of the surname "HARNEDY" can be found in various Irish annals and manuscripts dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. These include references to individuals bearing this name in County Cork and County Kerry, suggesting that the name was particularly prevalent in the southwestern region of Ireland during this time.
One notable early bearer of the HARNEDY surname was Dermot HARNEDY, a landowning gentleman from County Cork who lived during the late 16th century. His name appears in various land registry documents from that period, indicating his status as a prominent figure in the local community.
In the 17th century, a branch of the HARNEDY family settled in the parish of Dromtariffe, County Cork, where they became prominent landowners and influential members of the local gentry. One notable member of this branch was John HARNEDY, who served as the High Sheriff of County Cork in 1685.
Another significant figure bearing the HARNEDY surname was Patrick HARNEDY, a Catholic priest who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a prominent figure in the Church during a time of great religious and political turmoil in Ireland, and his name appears in various church records and historical accounts from that period.
In the 19th century, the HARNEDY surname gained further recognition with the birth of James HARNEDY (1810-1892), a renowned Irish poet and scholar. He was widely celebrated for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of Irish language and culture, and his works remain influential to this day.
Throughout history, the HARNEDY surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Harnedy's Cross in County Cork, which likely derived its name from a prominent member of the HARNEDY family who lived in the area during the medieval or early modern period.
While the HARNEDY surname may not be as widely known as some other Irish surnames, it has a rich and fascinating history that spans several centuries and is deeply intertwined with the cultural and historical tapestry of Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harnedy
Among Census respondents with the surname Harnedy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Harnedy 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 Harnedy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harnedy
Harnedy appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 5,705 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 Harnedy 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 | #160,975 | #155,270 | 3.5% |
| Count | 100 | 101 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harnedy bearers went from 100 to 101 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 5,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #155,270.
FAQ
Harnedy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harnedy?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Harnedy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Harnedy?
Harnedy ranks #155,270 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 101 people with the surname Harnedy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), 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 Harnedy.
Has Harnedy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harnedy went from 100 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Harnedy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harnedy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%). 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 Harnedy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harnedy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (7.9%). 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 Harnedy (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 Harnedy mean?
A variant spelling of an Irish surname derived from Ó hArrachtáin meaning descendant of Arrachtán. 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 Harnedy (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 common is the surname Harnedy?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Harnedy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.