2000
#8,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,688
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Harshman
An English occupational surname referring to a harsh or severe man, or one who works with a harrow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,700 Americans carry the last name Harshman. That puts it at #9,623 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,636 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harshman 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
3.7K
1 in 92,636
Census rank
#9,623
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,227 bearers of the surname Harshman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9623rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harshman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to 1245.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harshman
Among Census respondents with the surname Harshman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Harshman 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 Harshman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 2,999
- Two or more races3.4% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harshman
Harshman 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
#8,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,647
-41 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 708 places
2020
#9,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,227
-420 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 652 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,263 | 3,688 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,971 | 3,647 | 1.24 | -41 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 708 places |
| 2020 | #9,623 | 3,227 | 1.08 | -420 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 652 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 Harshman 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 | #8,971 | #9,623 | -7.3% |
| Count | 3,647 | 3,227 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.08 | -12.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harshman bearers went from 3,647 to 3,227 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 652 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,971 to #9,623.
FAQ
Harshman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harshman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,700 living Americans carry the surname Harshman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,636 residents.
How common is Harshman?
Harshman ranks #9,623 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,227 people with the surname Harshman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,700), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Harshman.
Has Harshman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harshman went from 3,647 recorded bearers to 3,227. That is a decrease of 420 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,971 to #9,623.
What does the Census say about the background of Harshman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harshman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Harshman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (2,999 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harshman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Harshman (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 Harshman mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a harsh or severe man, or one who works with a harrow. 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 Harshman (1.08 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 share the surname Harshman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.