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

Harveston, 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 Harveston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harveston in America

Harveston is the 96799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harveston surname appeared 188 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Harveston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harveston 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 Harveston

The surname Harveston has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hærfest" meaning harvest and "tun" meaning a farm or enclosed land, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived in or near a farmstead where crops were harvested.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1199, which mentions a William de Herfestun. This indicates that the name was in use during the late 12th and early 13th centuries in various parts of England.

The Harveston surname also appeared in several medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Robert de Hervestun in Norfolk, and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which recorded a William Harveston in Cambridgeshire.

In the 14th century, the name was sometimes spelled as Harveyston or Harvisston, reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation.

One notable figure bearing the Harveston name was Sir John Harveston (1420-1489), a prominent landowner and member of Parliament during the Wars of the Roses. He was known for his support of the House of York and his loyalty to King Edward IV.

Another historical figure was Robert Harveston (1589-1663), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1653 until his death.

In the 17th century, the Harveston family had established themselves in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. One notable member was William Harveston (1625-1698), a successful merchant and benefactor who funded the construction of a school and almshouses in his hometown.

During the 18th century, the Harveston surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. A notable Scottish figure was Alexander Harveston (1754-1820), a renowned philosopher and writer who contributed significantly to the Scottish Enlightenment.

In the 19th century, members of the Harveston family could be found across the British Empire, including in Australia and Canada. One notable individual was Captain James Harveston (1812-1879), an explorer and surveyor who played a key role in mapping the interior of Australia.

Throughout its history, the Harveston surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, clergy, academics, merchants, and explorers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harveston

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!