2000
#10,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,904
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Hartle
Derived from a place name meaning "deer hill" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,274 Americans carry the last name Hartle. That puts it at #10,690 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,690 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hartle 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 Hartle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 104,690
Census rank
#10,690
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,855 bearers of the surname Hartle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10690th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hartle, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hartle
The surname Hartle is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Hartle surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was likely derived from a place name or a topographical feature, which was a common practice during that time.
The name Hartle may have evolved from the Old English word "hara" or "hara-tun," which translates to "hare town" or "hare enclosure." This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have lived in an area inhabited by hares or associated with their hunting.
Another theory suggests that the name Hartle could be a variant of the Old English word "hyrde," meaning "herdsman" or "shepherd." This could indicate that the early Hartles were involved in pastoral activities or lived near areas suitable for grazing livestock.
In the 13th century, records show a John de Harthill, who was a landowner in Yorkshire. This early spelling variation, Harthill, provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
One notable individual with the Hartle surname was Sir William Hartle, a wealthy merchant and politician from York who lived during the 15th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1465 and played a significant role in the city's affairs.
Another historical figure was John Hartle, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Lewes, Sussex, in 1556 during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs.
In the 17th century, the Hartle surname was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire. One notable individual from this period was Richard Hartle, a Anglican clergyman who served as the Rector of Westerham in Kent from 1673 to 1695.
During the 18th century, the Hartle name spread across England and into other parts of the British Isles. One notable figure was James Hartle, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer born in 1745, who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
In the 19th century, the Hartle surname continued to be found throughout England and other parts of the United Kingdom. One notable individual was Charles Hartle, a British engineer and inventor born in 1837, who is credited with developing an early version of the electric motor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hartle
Among Census respondents with the surname Hartle, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hartle 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 Hartle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 2,701
- Two or more races2.2% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 50
- Black or African American0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hartle
Hartle 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
#9,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,498
+594 bearers (+20.5%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 886 places
2020
#10,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,855
-643 bearers (-18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 1,383 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,193 | 2,904 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,307 | 3,498 | 1.19 | +594 bearers (+20.5%) | Up 886 places |
| 2020 | #10,690 | 2,855 | 0.96 | -643 bearers (-18.4%) | Down 1,383 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 Hartle 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 | #9,307 | #10,690 | -14.9% |
| Count | 3,498 | 2,855 | -18.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 0.96 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hartle bearers went from 3,498 to 2,855 (-18.4% change). The surname moved down 1,383 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,307 to #10,690.
FAQ
Hartle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hartle?
Name Census estimates that about 3,274 living Americans carry the surname Hartle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,690 residents.
How common is Hartle?
Hartle ranks #10,690 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,855 people with the surname Hartle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,274), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Hartle.
Has Hartle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hartle went from 3,498 recorded bearers to 2,855. That is a decrease of 643 (-18.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,307 to #10,690.
What does the Census say about the background of Hartle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hartle, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Hartle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (2,701 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hartle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Two or More Races (2.2%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Hartle (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 Hartle mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "deer hill" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a hill. 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 Hartle (0.96 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 Hartle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.