2000
#3,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,843
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.65
Uncommon Last name
Harter
An occupational surname referring to a person who makes harts, a type of medieval strongbox or chest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,549 Americans carry the last name Harter. That puts it at #3,759 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,492 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harter 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 Harter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,492
Census rank
#3,759
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,199 bearers of the surname Harter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3759th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harter, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harter
The surname HARTER has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "hort," which means "a hart" or male deer. This suggests that the name may have been originally an occupational surname for someone who worked as a deer hunter or keeper in a deer park.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HARTER surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it appears as "Harter." This early spelling variation is consistent with the name's derivation from the Old English word "hort."
In the 14th century, the HARTER name appeared in several historical records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1348. These records suggest that the HARTER family was well-established in various parts of England during this period.
The HARTER surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early reference further solidifies the name's deep roots in English history.
Noteworthy individuals with the HARTER surname include John Harter (1470-1532), who was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, England. Another notable figure was Sir Richard Harter (1592-1670), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Shropshire in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the HARTER name gained further prominence with the birth of John Harter (1725-1804), a successful businessman and philanthropist who established the Harter Trust, which still operates today, providing educational and charitable support in various parts of England.
Moving into the 19th century, the HARTER surname continued to be associated with notable figures, such as George Harter (1812-1892), a respected inventor and engineer who patented several innovative designs for agricultural machinery.
One of the most famous individuals with the HARTER surname was the English author and playwright, Walter Harter (1865-1944), whose works were widely acclaimed and enjoyed considerable popularity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harter
Among Census respondents with the surname Harter, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Harter 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 Harter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 8,422
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 311
- Two or more races3.0% · 280
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 74
- Black or African American0.7% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 48
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harter
Harter 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
#3,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,020
+177 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 3.40
Rank movement Down 227 places
2020
#3,759
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,199
-821 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 3.08
Rank movement Down 200 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,332 | 9,843 | 3.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,559 | 10,020 | 3.40 | +177 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 227 places |
| 2020 | #3,759 | 9,199 | 3.08 | -821 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 200 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 Harter 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 | #3,559 | #3,759 | -5.6% |
| Count | 10,020 | 9,199 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.40 | 3.08 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harter bearers went from 10,020 to 9,199 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 200 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,559 to #3,759.
FAQ
Harter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harter?
Name Census estimates that about 10,549 living Americans carry the surname Harter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,492 residents.
How common is Harter?
Harter ranks #3,759 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,199 people with the surname Harter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,549), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Harter.
Has Harter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harter went from 10,020 recorded bearers to 9,199. That is a decrease of 821 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,559 to #3,759.
What does the Census say about the background of Harter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harter, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Harter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (8,422 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Harter (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 Harter mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who makes harts, a type of medieval strongbox or chest. 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 Harter (3.08 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 Americans have the surname Harter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.