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

Hartnett, 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 Hartnett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hartnett in America

Hartnett is the 5450th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hartnett surname appeared 6,387 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hartnett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hartnett 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 Hartnett

The surname Hartnett originates from Ireland and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "ard" meaning high or noble, and "neit" meaning a champion or warrior. The name was first found in County Cork, where the family was part of the Dalcassian sept.

In ancient Irish records, the name appears as "O'hArdnety" or "O'Hartnettie", indicating it was a prominent surname in the region. The earliest known record of the name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a medieval Irish chronicle, which mentions an O'Hartnettie as a member of the Dál gCais clan in the year 1171.

The Hartnett family played a role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s, with several members fighting alongside the Catholic Confederates against the English Parliamentarians. One notable figure was Sir Donough Hartnett, who commanded a regiment of foot soldiers during the siege of Limerick in 1651.

The surname can also be found in various historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which record land grants and appointments. In the 1630s, a John Hartnett was granted lands in County Cork by Charles I.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Hartnett family settled in the town of Millstreet, County Cork, where they became prominent landowners and merchants. One member, William Hartnett (1720-1795), served as the High Sheriff of County Cork in 1772.

Other notable individuals with the surname include:

1. Catherine Hartnett (1848-1910), an Irish-born American labor organizer and suffragist.
2. John Joseph Hartnett (1858-1926), an American prelate who served as the Bishop of Omaha from 1916 to 1923.
3. Cornelius Hartnett (1875-1944), an Irish politician and member of the First Dáil Éireann.
4. John Hartnett (1915-1975), an Irish hurler who played for Cork Senior Hurling Team and won three All-Ireland medals.
5. Peter Hartnett (born 1948), an Australian actor known for his roles in films such as "Breaker Morant" and "The Lighthorsemen".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hartnett

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

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

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

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