2000
#11,340
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,555
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Harrah
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "stony hill" or "rocky outcrop."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,554 Americans carry the last name Harrah. That puts it at #13,160 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,203 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harrah 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
2.6K
1 in 134,203
Census rank
#13,160
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,227 bearers of the surname Harrah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13160th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harrah, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harrah
The surname Harrah is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hara," which means "hare" or "rabbit," suggesting that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone with a swift or agile nature, akin to the characteristics of a hare.
The earliest documented instances of the name can be found in historical records dating back to the 13th century. One notable mention appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a person named William Hare is listed as residing in the county of Oxfordshire. This early spelling variation, "Hare," provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the name Harrah appeared in various forms, including "Harra" and "Harrowe," reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations common during that era. One notable figure from this period was John Harrowe, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Gloucester in the late 1300s.
As the name spread across England, it took on different spellings and variations, such as "Harrah," "Harra," and "Harray." In the 16th century, records show a family named Harrah residing in the county of Northamptonshire, where they owned a substantial estate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Harrah surname in America can be traced back to the late 17th century, when William Harrah, a merchant from England, settled in the colony of Virginia in 1690. His descendants later migrated westward, establishing themselves in various parts of the country.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Harrah. One such figure was Thomas Harrah (1780-1854), a prominent businessman and landowner in Ohio, who played a significant role in the development of the state's early infrastructure. Another notable Harrah was John Harrah (1820-1905), a successful businessman and industrialist from California, who founded the Harrah's Hotel and Casino empire.
Other individuals with the Harrah surname include Mary Harrah (1892-1978), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, and William F. Harrah (1911-1978), the founder of the Harrah's Entertainment company, which became one of the largest gaming corporations in the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harrah
Among Census respondents with the surname Harrah, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Harrah 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 Harrah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 2,057
- Two or more races3.4% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harrah
Harrah 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
#12,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,511
-44 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 1,049 places
2020
#13,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,227
-284 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 771 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,340 | 2,555 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,389 | 2,511 | 0.85 | -44 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 1,049 places |
| 2020 | #13,160 | 2,227 | 0.75 | -284 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 771 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 Harrah 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 | #12,389 | #13,160 | -6.2% |
| Count | 2,511 | 2,227 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.75 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harrah bearers went from 2,511 to 2,227 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 771 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,389 to #13,160.
FAQ
Harrah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harrah?
Name Census estimates that about 2,554 living Americans carry the surname Harrah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,203 residents.
How common is Harrah?
Harrah ranks #13,160 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,227 people with the surname Harrah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,554), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Harrah.
Has Harrah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harrah went from 2,511 recorded bearers to 2,227. That is a decrease of 284 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,389 to #13,160.
What does the Census say about the background of Harrah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harrah, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Harrah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (2,057 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harrah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Harrah (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 Harrah mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "stony hill" or "rocky outcrop." 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 Harrah (0.75 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 share the surname Harrah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.