2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Harvanek
An Americanized form of a Czech surname derived from a place name or occupational descriptor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Harvanek. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harvanek 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Harvanek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harvanek, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harvanek
The surname Harvanek is believed to have originated in the region of Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. The name can be traced back to the late 15th century, and it is thought to be derived from the Czech word "harva," which means "pile" or "heap."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Harvanek appears in a land registry document from the village of Straznice, dated 1487. This document mentions a certain "Jan Harvanek," who was a landowner in the area.
In the 16th century, the name Harvanek began to spread beyond the borders of Bohemia, as members of the family migrated to other regions of Europe. For example, a record from the city of Vienna, dated 1523, mentions a "Georg Harvanek" who was a merchant and a member of the local guild.
One of the most notable individuals with the surname Harvanek was Vaclav Harvanek (1640-1707), a Czech mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. He served as the director of the astronomical observatory in Prague and was a member of the Royal Society in London.
Another famous Harvanek was Josef Harvanek (1785-1854), a Czech playwright and poet who was known for his satirical works that criticized the social and political conditions of his time. His play "The Hypocrites" was particularly popular and was performed throughout Bohemia.
In the 19th century, the Harvanek surname began to appear in various parts of Europe and even in the United States. For instance, records show that a family by the name of Harvanek settled in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the 1860s.
One of the most prominent figures with the Harvanek surname in the 20th century was Karel Harvanek (1918-1998), a Czech artist and sculptor who was best known for his abstract metal sculptures. His works were exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, and he received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the art world.
Throughout its history, the surname Harvanek has undergone several variations in spelling, such as Harvaneк, Harvanekk, and Harvanekcz, particularly in different regions and languages. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, reflecting its roots in the Czech language and the Bohemian region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harvanek
Among Census respondents with the surname Harvanek, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Harvanek 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 Harvanek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.9% · 94
- Two or more races3.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harvanek
Harvanek 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,775 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-11 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,775 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 4,917 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 Harvanek 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 | #151,532 | #156,449 | -3.2% |
| Count | 108 | 97 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harvanek bearers went from 108 to 97 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 4,917 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #156,449.
FAQ
Harvanek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harvanek?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Harvanek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Harvanek?
Harvanek ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Harvanek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Harvanek.
Has Harvanek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harvanek went from 108 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 11 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Harvanek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harvanek, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Harvanek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harvanek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.9%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Harvanek (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 Harvanek mean?
An Americanized form of a Czech surname derived from a place name or occupational descriptor. 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 Harvanek (0.03 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 Harvanek?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.