2000
#5,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,466
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.03
Rare Last name
Harr
Derived from Middle English harre, referring to someone who lived on a hill or mountain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,862 Americans carry the last name Harr. That puts it at #6,395 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,471 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harr 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 Harr with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,471
Census rank
#6,395
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,112 bearers of the surname Harr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6395th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harr, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harr
The surname HARR originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word 'hara', meaning 'hare' or 'rabbit'. This name likely referred to someone who was associated with hunting or had some resemblance to a hare.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HARR can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Hare'. This suggests that the name was present in England before the Norman Conquest.
Throughout history, various spellings of the name have been used, such as Hare, Har, Harr, and Harre. These variations reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of different areas in England.
In the 13th century, the name HARR appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it was spelled 'Harre'. This indicates that the name was prevalent in that region during that time period.
One notable individual with the surname HARR was John Harr, a member of the English Parliament who lived in the late 15th century (c. 1450-1516). He represented the borough of Westbury in Wiltshire during the reign of King Henry VII.
Another historical figure was Sir Ralph Harr, who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1592). He was a prominent landowner and served as the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1569.
In the 17th century, a man named Thomas Harr (c. 1625-1688) gained recognition as a successful merchant and philanthropist in the city of Bristol. He donated funds for the establishment of a school and almshouses in the area.
During the 18th century, the surname HARR was associated with several place names in England, such as Harrold in Bedfordshire and Harrowby in Lincolnshire. These locations may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in those regions.
One notable individual from this period was William Harr (1720-1805), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Old Bailey courthouse.
While these examples provide a glimpse into the history of the surname HARR, it is important to note that records from earlier centuries can be incomplete or inconsistent, and further research may uncover additional information about the origins and prevalence of this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harr
Among Census respondents with the surname Harr, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Harr 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 Harr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 4,635
- Two or more races3.3% · 169
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 129
- Black or African American2.2% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harr
Harr 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
#5,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,021
+555 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 2.04
Rank movement Up 38 places
2020
#6,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,112
-909 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Down 641 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,792 | 5,466 | 2.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,754 | 6,021 | 2.04 | +555 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 38 places |
| 2020 | #6,395 | 5,112 | 1.71 | -909 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 641 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 Harr 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 | #5,754 | #6,395 | -11.1% |
| Count | 6,021 | 5,112 | -15.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.04 | 1.71 | -16.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harr bearers went from 6,021 to 5,112 (-15.1% change). The surname moved down 641 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,754 to #6,395.
FAQ
Harr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harr?
Name Census estimates that about 5,862 living Americans carry the surname Harr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,471 residents.
How common is Harr?
Harr ranks #6,395 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,112 people with the surname Harr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,862), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Harr.
Has Harr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harr went from 6,021 recorded bearers to 5,112. That is a decrease of 909 (-15.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,754 to #6,395.
What does the Census say about the background of Harr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harr, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Harr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (4,635 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Harr (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 Harr mean?
Derived from Middle English harre, referring to someone who lived on a hill or mountain. 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 Harr (1.71 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 are called Harr?
See how common the surname Harr is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.