2000
#7,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,011
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Harville
An English toponymic surname indicating someone from any of various places called Harville, likely derived from Old English hār "gray" and wella "well, spring."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,375 Americans carry the last name Harville. That puts it at #8,311 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,344 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harville 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
4.4K
1 in 78,344
Census rank
#8,311
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,815 bearers of the surname Harville in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8311th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harville, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harville
The surname Harville has its roots in England, originating from the Old English words "hara" meaning hare and "vill" meaning a town or village. It likely referred to someone who came from a town or settlement where hares were abundant.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Harville dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Harevilla." This suggests that the name was well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
During the Middle Ages, various spellings of the name emerged, including Hareville, Harevill, and Hairvill. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure bearing the name Harville was Sir John de Harville, a knight who fought in the Welsh Wars under King Edward I. He is mentioned in several historical records from that period.
Another notable bearer of the Harville name was Sir Henry Harville, who lived in the 15th century and served as a member of Parliament for Berkshire. He was also a landowner and is recorded in various legal documents of the era.
In the 16th century, the Harville family established themselves in the county of Somerset, where they owned estates and held positions of influence. One member, William Harville (1510-1582), was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as a tutor to the children of King Henry VIII.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain Thomas Harville (1620-1677) fought for the Parliamentarian forces and played a role in several battles, including the Siege of Colchester.
The 18th century saw the rise of Sir John Harville (1745-1819), a prominent naval officer who served with distinction during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He was honored for his bravery and leadership, and his exploits are recorded in numerous historical accounts of the time.
Throughout its history, the Harville surname has been closely associated with England, particularly the counties of Somerset, Berkshire, and Hampshire. While the name has spread to other parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harville
Among Census respondents with the surname Harville, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Harville 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 Harville surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 2,969
- Black or African American12.9% · 491
- Two or more races5.0% · 190
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 126
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harville
Harville 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
#7,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,157
+146 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 312 places
2020
#8,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,815
-342 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Down 353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,646 | 4,011 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,958 | 4,157 | 1.41 | +146 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 312 places |
| 2020 | #8,311 | 3,815 | 1.28 | -342 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 353 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 Harville 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 | #7,958 | #8,311 | -4.4% |
| Count | 4,157 | 3,815 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.28 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harville bearers went from 4,157 to 3,815 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 353 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,958 to #8,311.
FAQ
Harville surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harville?
Name Census estimates that about 4,375 living Americans carry the surname Harville. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,344 residents.
How common is Harville?
Harville ranks #8,311 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.28 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 3,815 people with the surname Harville. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,375), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.28 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 Harville.
Has Harville become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harville went from 4,157 recorded bearers to 3,815. That is a decrease of 342 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,958 to #8,311.
What does the Census say about the background of Harville?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harville, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Harville in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (2,969 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harville appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Black (12.9%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Harville (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 Harville mean?
An English toponymic surname indicating someone from any of various places called Harville, likely derived from Old English hār "gray" and wella "well, spring." 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 Harville (1.28 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 are called Harville?
See how many Americans have the surname Harville on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.