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

Harrington, 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 Harrington surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harrington in America

Harrington is the 500th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harrington surname appeared 66,959 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 23 people would have the surname Harrington.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harrington 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 Harrington

The surname Harrington originates from England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning hare and "tun" meaning enclosure or settlement, referring to a place where hares were found in abundance.

The earliest known bearer of the name was William de Harintone, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This entry suggests that the name was initially associated with a place called Harington or Harrington in Northamptonshire.

Over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, including Harington, Haryngton, and Haryngeton. The name was also linked to various place names, such as Harington in Lincolnshire and Harrington in Cumberland (now part of Cumbria).

Notable individuals with the surname Harrington include Sir John Harington (1561-1612), an English courtier, author, and inventor who is credited with introducing the flush toilet to England. Another prominent figure was Henry Harrington (1608-1658), an English civil war soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the Commonwealth period.

In the 18th century, Robert Harrington (1715-1784) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as Governor of the Leeward Islands from 1771 to 1778. Meanwhile, Reverend Henry Harrington (1727-1816) was an English clergyman and author known for his work on the history of Cheshire.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir John Harrington (1785-1858) was a British naval officer and explorer who conducted surveys in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Additionally, Lord Sidney Harrington (1810-1892) was a British nobleman and Conservative politician who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies.

Throughout its history, the Harrington surname has been represented across various sectors, including literature, politics, exploration, and military service, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harrington

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

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

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

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