2000
#15,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,686
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.62
Rare Last name
Hartzler
A German surname derived from a derivative of the German word "hart" meaning "hard" or "brave".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,094 Americans carry the last name Hartzler. That puts it at #15,455 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,684 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hartzler 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
2.1K
1 in 163,684
Census rank
#15,455
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,826 bearers of the surname Hartzler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15455th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hartzler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hartzler
The surname Hartzler originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in Switzerland and southern Germany. It is a locational name derived from the place name Hartzl or Härtzel, which likely referred to a small settlement or a topographical feature such as a hill or a wooded area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century, with variations such as Härtzler, Hertzler, and Härtzeller appearing in historical records from that period. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Härtzler, who was mentioned in a document from the town of Aarau in Switzerland, dated 1568.
In the 17th century, the Hartzler name gained prominence in the Alsace region, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. During this time, the Anabaptist movement, which later became known as the Amish and Mennonite communities, flourished in the area. Many Hartzlers were among the early adherents of this religious movement, and some were persecuted for their beliefs.
One notable figure from this era was Jakob Hartzler, who was born in Alsace in 1664. He was a Mennonite leader and is believed to have been one of the first Hartzlers to emigrate to America, settling in Pennsylvania in the early 18th century. His descendants played a significant role in the establishment and growth of the Mennonite community in the United States.
Another influential Hartzler was Hans Hertzler, a Swiss Anabaptist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a prominent leader in the Anabaptist movement and was known for his writings and teachings on nonviolence and pacifism.
In the 19th century, the Hartzler name was well-established in various parts of Europe, including Switzerland, Germany, and France. One notable figure from this period was Johann Jakob Hartzler, a Swiss artist and painter born in 1805. His works, which often depicted landscapes and rural scenes, are part of the collections of several museums in Switzerland.
As the Hartzler family spread across Europe and eventually to North America, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Hartzler, Hertzler, Härtzler, and Hertsler. While the name is most common in areas with a strong Mennonite and Amish presence, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio in the United States, it can also be found in other parts of the world where people of German and Swiss descent have settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hartzler
Among Census respondents with the surname Hartzler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hartzler 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 Hartzler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 1,723
- Two or more races2.5% · 46
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 14
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hartzler
Hartzler 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
#16,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,791
+105 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 301 places
2020
#15,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,826
+35 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,849 | 1,686 | 0.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,150 | 1,791 | 0.61 | +105 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 301 places |
| 2020 | #15,455 | 1,826 | 0.61 | +35 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 695 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 Hartzler 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 | #16,150 | #15,455 | 4.3% |
| Count | 1,791 | 1,826 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hartzler bearers went from 1,791 to 1,826 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 695 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,150 to #15,455.
FAQ
Hartzler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hartzler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,094 living Americans carry the surname Hartzler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,684 residents.
How common is Hartzler?
Hartzler ranks #15,455 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,826 people with the surname Hartzler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,094), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Hartzler.
Has Hartzler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hartzler went from 1,791 recorded bearers to 1,826. That is an increase of 35 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,150 to #15,455.
What does the Census say about the background of Hartzler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hartzler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Hartzler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (1,723 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hartzler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Hartzler (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 Hartzler mean?
A German surname derived from a derivative of the German word "hart" meaning "hard" or "brave". 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 Hartzler (0.61 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 have the surname Hartzler?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.