2000
#638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 48,471
First available Census row
Per 100,000 17.97
Uncommon Last name
Harrell
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hare hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 55,813 Americans carry the last name Harrell. That puts it at #685 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 16.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,141 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harrell 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 Harrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
56K
1 in 6,141
Census rank
#685
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
16.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
49K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 48,672 bearers of the surname Harrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 16.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 685th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harrell
The surname Harrell is of English origin and is derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning hare and "hyll" meaning hill or slope. It was initially a toponymic name given to someone who lived near a hill frequented by hares.
The earliest recorded instances of the Harrell name date back to the late 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers was Richard de Harehull, mentioned in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines records in 1199. This indicates the name was initially spelled with various forms like Harehull or Harehyll before evolving into Harrell over time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in several medieval manuscripts and records. A notable entry is that of Walter Harehull in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. This suggests the name was present in different parts of England during this period.
The Harrell surname is not found in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating it likely originated after the Norman Conquest. However, it is possible that the name's roots can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times before the Norman invasion.
Some notable historical figures with the Harrell surname include Sir John Harrell (1562-1637), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament. Another prominent bearer was Captain William Harrell (1608-1680), an English naval officer and explorer who commanded several voyages to the West Indies and the Caribbean.
In the 17th century, the surname is recorded in various spellings such as Harrold, Harrill, and Harrol in parish records across England. This highlights the regional variations and spelling inconsistencies common during that era.
Other notable individuals with the Harrell surname include Thomas Harrell (1786-1858), an American congressman from South Carolina, and Benjamin Harrell (1807-1879), a Baptist minister and educator who co-founded Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas.
In the 19th century, the Harrell name also gained prominence in the literary world with authors like John Harrell (1805-1880), an English poet and writer known for his works on local history and folklore.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Harrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Harrell 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 Harrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.2% · 30,763
- Black or African American28.6% · 13,922
- Two or more races4.3% · 2,092
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 1,417
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 244
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 234
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harrell
Harrell 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
#671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 50,837
+2,366 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 17.23
Rank movement Down 33 places
2020
#685
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 48,672
-2,165 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 16.28
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #638 | 48,471 | 17.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #671 | 50,837 | 17.23 | +2,366 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 33 places |
| 2020 | #685 | 48,672 | 16.28 | -2,165 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 14 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 Harrell 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 | #671 | #685 | -2.1% |
| Count | 50,837 | 48,672 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 17.23 | 16.28 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harrell bearers went from 50,837 to 48,672 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #671 to #685.
FAQ
Harrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harrell?
Name Census estimates that about 55,813 living Americans carry the surname Harrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,141 residents.
How common is Harrell?
Harrell ranks #685 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 16.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 16 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 48,672 people with the surname Harrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (55,813), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 16.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 16.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 16 of them to have the surname Harrell.
Has Harrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harrell went from 50,837 recorded bearers to 48,672. That is a decrease of 2,165 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #671 to #685.
What does the Census say about the background of Harrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Harrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.2% (30,763 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.2%), Black (28.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Harrell (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 Harrell mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hare hill." 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 Harrell (16.28 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 Americans have the surname Harrell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.