2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Harras
German surname derived from a place name meaning "high, steep slope or cliff."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Harras. 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 Harras 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 Harras 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 Harras, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.8%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harras
The surname "HARRAS" is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the old German word "harr," which means rough or rugged, potentially referring to the physical characteristics of the land or the personality of an early bearer of the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century, where a person named "Conradus Harras" is mentioned in a land transaction from the year 1285.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Heidelberg Tax Rolls, a significant record of taxation and landowners during that time period. A certain "Hans Harras" is listed as a landowner in the town of Heidelberg in 1367.
The name can also be traced to various regions of Germany, particularly in the southern and western areas. For instance, the town of Harras in Bavaria is believed to have derived its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname Harras.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Harras include:
1. Johann Harras (1542-1612), a German mathematician and astronomer known for his contributions to the development of the Gregorian calendar.
2. Heinrich Harras (1690-1754), a German composer and organist active during the Baroque era, known for his sacred choral works.
3. Friedrich Harras (1810-1881), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives in the mid-19th century.
4. Maximilian Harras (1863-1928), a German architect responsible for designing several prominent buildings in Munich, including the Bavarian National Museum.
5. Wilhelm Harras (1892-1962), a German military officer who served in both World Wars and attained the rank of General in the Wehrmacht during World War II.
While the name Harras may have evolved slightly in its spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, it has maintained a consistent presence throughout various regions of Germany, reflecting its deep-rooted historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harras
Among Census respondents with the surname Harras, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.8%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Harras 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 Harras surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.3% · 74
- Black or African American18.8% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harras
Harras 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-21 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,668 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-18 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 24,668 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 15,113 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 Harras 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 | #140,157 | #155,270 | -10.8% |
| Count | 119 | 101 | -15.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harras bearers went from 119 to 101 (-15.1% change). The surname moved down 15,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #155,270.
FAQ
Harras surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harras?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Harras. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Harras?
Harras 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 Harras. 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 Harras.
Has Harras become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harras went from 119 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Harras?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harras, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.8%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Harras in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harras appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.3%), Black (18.8%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Harras (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 Harras mean?
German surname derived from a place name meaning "high, steep slope or cliff." 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 Harras (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 Harras?
See how many people are called Harras on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.