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

Hartzell, 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 Hartzell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hartzell in America

Hartzell is the 5361st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hartzell surname appeared 6,494 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 Hartzell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hartzell 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 Hartzell

The surname Hartzell has its origins in Germany, where it emerged as an occupational name during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German word "hartz," meaning "resin" or "pitch," combined with the suffix "-el," which indicates a location or a diminutive form. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a resin-producing area or worked with resin-related products.

One of the earliest known records of the name Hartzell dates back to the 14th century, where it appears in the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the region of Württemberg in southwestern Germany. The name is documented as "Hartzeller" in this text, indicating a slight variation in its spelling.

As the Hartzell family spread across Europe, the name took on various spellings, such as Hartzel, Härtzell, and Hartzelle. Some of these variations reflected regional linguistic differences or adaptations to local dialects.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the Hartzell name was Johannes Hartzel, a German theologian and reformer born in 1516. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation movement and published several works on religious topics.

Another historical figure associated with the Hartzell surname was Georg Hartzell, a German artist born in 1677. He was renowned for his intricate wood carvings and became a member of the prestigious Nuremberg Guild of Sculptors.

Crossing the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Hartzell name in North America can be found in the Pennsylvania Dutch settlements of the 18th century. Johann Michael Hartzell, born in 1724, was among the first Hartzell immigrants to arrive in the American colonies from Germany.

In the 19th century, a prominent Hartzell was Jacob Hartzell, a German-American businessman and philanthropist born in 1824. He made his fortune in the steel industry and donated generously to educational institutions and charitable causes.

Lastly, mention should be made of Elijah Hartzell, an American Civil War veteran and politician born in 1841. He served as a Union soldier during the conflict and later became a member of the Iowa State Senate, representing Tama County.

The Hartzell surname, with its rich history and connections to various regions, occupations, and notable individuals, has left an indelible mark on the tapestry of family names across the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hartzell

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

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

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

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