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

Harshman, 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 Harshman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harshman in America

Harshman is the 8971st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harshman surname appeared 3,647 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Harshman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harshman 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 Harshman

The surname "HARSHMAN" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Harscher," which means "harsh" or "severe." It is likely that the name initially referred to someone with a stern or harsh demeanor.

In the early 13th century, there are records of individuals bearing the surname "Harshman" in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. The name appeared in various spellings, including "Harschmann," "Harschmanne," and "Harschemannus."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to 1245. The document mentions a certain "Harschemannus de Wittenberg," suggesting that a person with this surname resided in the town of Wittenberg during that time.

During the 14th century, the name "Harshman" began to spread across other parts of Europe, particularly in regions with German-speaking populations. In 1387, a record from the city of Nuremberg mentions a "Johannes Harschmann," who was a prominent merchant and tradesman.

As the name continued to evolve, various spelling variations emerged, such as "Herschmann," "Hershman," and "Hershmann." These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.

Notable individuals bearing the surname "Harshman" throughout history include:

1. Johann Harschmann (1535-1607), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Elector of Saxony.
2. Hans Herschmann (1610-1677), a German artist known for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures, many of which adorned churches in Bavaria.
3. Christoph Hershman (1680-1746), a German-born farmer and landowner who settled in Pennsylvania in the early 18th century, establishing one of the first German communities in the American colonies.
4. Eliza Harshman (1818-1892), an American educator and feminist who advocated for women's rights and founded several schools for girls in Ohio.
5. Wilhelm Herschmann (1876-1961), a German-born architect who designed several notable buildings in Chicago, including the landmark Pittsfield Building.

Throughout its history, the surname "Harshman" has been associated with various places, including the towns of Harschmühle and Herschmannshöhe in Germany, which likely derived their names from individuals bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harshman

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

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

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

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