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

Hartig, 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 Hartig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hartig in America

Hartig is the 16059th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hartig surname appeared 1,805 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 Hartig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hartig 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 Hartig

The surname Hartig is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "hart," meaning "hardy" or "brave," possibly referring to a strong or courageous individual. This surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it first emerged.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hartig can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, dated around 1540. The name also appears in various church records and municipal registers from the 16th and 17th centuries in towns such as Leipzig and Dresden.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Georg Ludwig Hartig (1647-1734), a prominent German jurist and legal scholar who served as the Rector of the University of Leipzig. His works on civil and criminal law were widely influential in their time.

Another individual of note was Johann Hartig (1726-1807), a German forester and botanist who made significant contributions to the field of forestry management. He is credited with developing sustainable forestry practices and introducing the concept of "managed forests" in Germany.

During the 19th century, the Hartig surname gained further prominence with the birth of Robert Hartig (1839-1901), a renowned German botanist and pioneer in the study of plant pathology. His groundbreaking research on fungal diseases in trees laid the foundation for modern forest pathology.

In the realm of literature, the German novelist and playwright Georg Hartig (1868-1934) is notable for his works exploring social issues and the lives of ordinary people in his native Bavaria.

Lastly, a more recent figure of significance was Theodor Hartig (1905-1980), a German chemist and inventor who developed the first practical process for the commercial production of synthetic detergents, revolutionizing the cleaning industry in the mid-20th century.

While these are just a few examples, the surname Hartig has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with individuals who have made noteworthy contributions across various fields, particularly in the areas of law, forestry, botany, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hartig

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

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

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

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