2000
#15,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,743
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Harward
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hare enclosure" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,353 Americans carry the last name Harward. That puts it at #14,058 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,667 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harward 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Harward with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 145,667
Census rank
#14,058
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,052 bearers of the surname Harward in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14058th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harward, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harward
The surname HARWARD is of English origin, traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hearg" meaning "heathen temple" and "weard" meaning "guard" or "keeper." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers may have been guardians or caretakers of pagan shrines or sacred sites.
In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as "Hereward" or "Hereward" in various medieval records and manuscripts. One notable example is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Hereward is listed as holding estates in Lincolnshire.
The surname later evolved into variations such as Harward, Harewood, and Harwood, possibly influenced by the Old English word "har" meaning "hoar" or "gray," referring to the color of hair or the appearance of a person.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Sir John Harward, a 14th-century English knight and landowner in Worcestershire. Another notable bearer was William Harward, born around 1480, who served as a member of the Privy Council during the reign of King Henry VIII.
In the 16th century, the Harward family held significant influence in the county of Shropshire, where they owned lands and properties around the village of Harward. This place name likely contributed to the prominence of the surname in that region.
During the English Civil War, Colonel John Harward (1606-1670) was a prominent Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I. He was later rewarded with lands in Ireland after the Restoration.
In the realm of literature, Edward Harward (1589-1662) was an English poet and playwright who authored several works, including the play "The Anti-Norman."
Another notable bearer was Sir John Harward (1719-1789), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname HARWARD, reflecting its enduring presence in England and its role in various aspects of British society and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harward
Among Census respondents with the surname Harward, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Harward 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 Harward surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 1,898
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 62
- Two or more races2.7% · 55
- Black or African American1.0% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harward
Harward 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
#15,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,961
+218 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 377 places
2020
#14,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,052
+91 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 998 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,433 | 1,743 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,056 | 1,961 | 0.66 | +218 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 377 places |
| 2020 | #14,058 | 2,052 | 0.69 | +91 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 998 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 Harward 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 | #15,056 | #14,058 | 6.6% |
| Count | 1,961 | 2,052 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.69 | 4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harward bearers went from 1,961 to 2,052 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 998 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,056 to #14,058.
FAQ
Harward surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harward?
Name Census estimates that about 2,353 living Americans carry the surname Harward. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,667 residents.
How common is Harward?
Harward ranks #14,058 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,052 people with the surname Harward. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,353), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Harward.
Has Harward become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harward went from 1,961 recorded bearers to 2,052. That is an increase of 91 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,056 to #14,058.
What does the Census say about the background of Harward?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harward, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Harward in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,898 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harward appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Harward (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 Harward mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hare enclosure" in Old English. 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 Harward (0.69 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 common is the surname Harward?
See how many people are called Harward on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.