2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hartnagle
A surname meaning someone who lived near a hard or rocky ridge or hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Hartnagle. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hartnagle 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Hartnagle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hartnagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hartnagle
The surname Hartnagle is of German origin, originating in the southern regions of Germany during the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German words "hart" meaning "hard" and "nagel" meaning "nail," likely referring to an occupation or trade involving metalwork or smithing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria, where a blacksmith named Hans Hartnagle is mentioned in 1587. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with the blacksmithing profession.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various church records and legal documents throughout the German states, with variations in spelling such as Hartnagel, Hartnagl, and Hartnagele. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling during that time.
One notable individual bearing this surname was Johann Hartnagle (1610-1679), a renowned clockmaker from Nuremberg, who is credited with several innovations in the design and construction of clocks and timepieces. His works can be found in various museums and private collections across Europe.
Another historical figure was Christoph Hartnagle (1675-1742), a German poet and playwright from Saxony, known for his satirical works and comedies that often portrayed the lives of common people and tradesmen.
In the 18th century, the surname began to spread beyond Germany as some families emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Hans Hartnagle (1720-1789), a farmer who settled in Pennsylvania, USA, in the mid-1700s and established a sizable family in the region.
As the centuries progressed, the Hartnagle name became more widely dispersed, with families bearing this surname found in various parts of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other European countries, as well as in North America.
It is worth noting that while the surname Hartnagle is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history and heritage deeply rooted in the cultural traditions and occupations of the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hartnagle
Among Census respondents with the surname Hartnagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hartnagle 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 Hartnagle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hartnagle
Hartnagle 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+24 bearers (+23.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,616 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,597 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +24 bearers (+23.8%) | Up 14,616 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,597 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 Hartnagle 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 | #134,712 | #141,309 | -4.9% |
| Count | 125 | 121 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hartnagle bearers went from 125 to 121 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 6,597 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #141,309.
FAQ
Hartnagle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hartnagle?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Hartnagle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Hartnagle?
Hartnagle ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Hartnagle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hartnagle.
Has Hartnagle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hartnagle went from 125 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Hartnagle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hartnagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Hartnagle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hartnagle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Hispanic (1.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Hartnagle (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 Hartnagle mean?
A surname meaning someone who lived near a hard or rocky ridge or 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 Hartnagle (0.04 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 Hartnagle?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.