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

Harnish, 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 Harnish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harnish in America

Harnish is the 10164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harnish surname appeared 3,175 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 Harnish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harnish 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.

The history of the last name Harnish

The surname HARNISH is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the region of Bavaria during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Harnisch," which referred to a type of armor or coat of mail worn by soldiers and knights. The name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who worked as an armorer or craftsman creating such armor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 15th century church registry from the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Harnisch was listed as a resident. This suggests that the name had already been established in this area by that time. In the 16th century, there are records of a family with the name Harnisch living in the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which was known for its skilled metalworkers and armorers.

The name HARNISH also appears in several historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as tax records and land deeds from various regions of Germany. It is likely that the spelling variations, such as Harnisch, Harnish, and Harnisch, were due to regional dialects and differences in record-keeping practices.

One notable individual bearing this surname was Johann Harnisch, a German composer and organist who lived from 1680 to 1739. He was renowned for his church music and served as the organist at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, a position previously held by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Another figure of historical significance was Gottlieb Harnisch, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1742 to 1819. He was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement and authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.

In the 19th century, a German immigrant named Wilhelm Harnisch settled in the United States, establishing a family line in Pennsylvania. His son, Frederick Harnisch, born in 1841, became a respected lawyer and political figure, serving as a judge and later as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate.

Another notable individual was Anna Harnisch, a German-born artist who lived from 1872 to 1945. She was known for her intricate woodblock prints and etchings, many of which depicted scenes from rural German life and folklore.

It is worth noting that the name HARNISH has also been found in various other European countries, such as Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, suggesting that it may have spread from its German origins to other regions over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harnish

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

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 Harnish was:

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

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

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

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