2000
#9,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,276
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Harshbarger
An occupational surname for a person who removes hair or makes wigs, derived from German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,515 Americans carry the last name Harshbarger. That puts it at #10,032 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harshbarger 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
3.5K
1 in 97,512
Census rank
#10,032
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,065 bearers of the surname Harshbarger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10032nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harshbarger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harshbarger
The surname HARSHBARGER is believed to have originated in the Germanic regions of central Europe, likely in the areas of modern-day Germany or Switzerland, during the medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from a combination of the Old German words "harsch" meaning "harsh" or "stern," and "barg" meaning "hill" or "mountain," possibly referring to someone who lived in a rugged, mountainous region or had a stern demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HARSHBARGER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Württemberg, Germany, dating back to the late 15th century. The name appears as "Harschbarger" in a land transaction record from the year 1487.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, as the Protestant Reformation swept across Europe, many families with the surname HARSHBARGER likely migrated from their ancestral homes in search of religious freedom and economic opportunities. Records show that individuals bearing this name settled in various parts of Germany, Switzerland, and neighboring regions.
In the late 17th century, a man named Johannes HARSHBARGER (1671-1738) was among the early German immigrants to the British colonies in North America, settling in Pennsylvania. He is considered one of the earliest known bearers of the HARSHBARGER name in the New World.
Another notable figure with this surname was Friedrich HARSHBARGER (1802-1876), a prominent German-American writer and philosopher who advocated for democratic ideals and social reform. He authored several influential works on political theory and was an outspoken critic of monarchical rule.
In the 19th century, a branch of the HARSHBARGER family settled in the Appalachian region of the United States, where the name became associated with the rugged mountain culture and traditions of that area. One notable figure from this era was Ezekiel HARSHBARGER (1824-1901), a skilled craftsman and furniture maker whose intricate woodwork pieces are now highly prized by collectors.
During the 20th century, the HARSHBARGER name gained further recognition with individuals like Alma HARSHBARGER (1906-1989), a pioneering educator and advocate for children with special needs, and Samuel HARSHBARGER (1918-2002), a decorated World War II veteran and businessman who played a significant role in the postwar economic recovery of his hometown.
Despite its relatively small population, the HARSHBARGER surname has left an indelible mark on various aspects of history, from early settlement and craftsmanship to intellectual and social movements, reflecting the diverse journeys and contributions of those who have carried this name through the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harshbarger
Among Census respondents with the surname Harshbarger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Harshbarger 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 Harshbarger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 2,873
- Two or more races2.7% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harshbarger
Harshbarger 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
#9,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,413
+137 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 367 places
2020
#10,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,065
-348 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 507 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,158 | 3,276 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,525 | 3,413 | 1.16 | +137 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 367 places |
| 2020 | #10,032 | 3,065 | 1.03 | -348 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 507 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 Harshbarger 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 | #9,525 | #10,032 | -5.3% |
| Count | 3,413 | 3,065 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.03 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harshbarger bearers went from 3,413 to 3,065 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 507 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,525 to #10,032.
FAQ
Harshbarger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harshbarger?
Name Census estimates that about 3,515 living Americans carry the surname Harshbarger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,512 residents.
How common is Harshbarger?
Harshbarger ranks #10,032 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 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 3,065 people with the surname Harshbarger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 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 Harshbarger.
Has Harshbarger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harshbarger went from 3,413 recorded bearers to 3,065. That is a decrease of 348 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,525 to #10,032.
What does the Census say about the background of Harshbarger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harshbarger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Harshbarger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (2,873 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harshbarger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Harshbarger (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 Harshbarger mean?
An occupational surname for a person who removes hair or makes wigs, derived from German. 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 Harshbarger (1.03 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 many people have the last name Harshbarger?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Harshbarger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.