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

Harwell, 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 Harwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harwell in America

Harwell is the 4871st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harwell surname appeared 7,234 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Harwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harwell 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 Harwell

The surname Harwell is of English origin and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hara" meaning "hare" and "well" meaning a spring or source of water, indicating that the name likely referred to a place where hares were found near a spring or stream.

One of the earliest records of the name Harwell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as a place name in Berkshire, England. This suggests that the surname may have derived from a habitation name, referring to someone who lived in the village of Harwell.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Harewelle, Harewell, and Harwelle, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Harwell was John Harwell, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

During the 16th century, the name Harwell was also associated with a place in Nottinghamshire, known as Harwell or Harwell Woodhouse. This may have contributed to the spread of the surname in that region.

Notable individuals with the surname Harwell include:

1. Sir Robert Harwell (c. 1420 - 1490), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1481.
2. William Harwell (1568 - 1641), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
3. Thomas Harwell (1675 - 1738), an English mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the study of comets.
4. John Harwell (1793 - 1868), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Georgia.
5. Richard Harwell (1915 - 1988), an American author and editor who specialized in Southern history and literature.

The surname Harwell has also been associated with various place names, such as Harwell village in Oxfordshire, Harwell parish in Berkshire, and Harwell Lea in Nottinghamshire, further reinforcing its connection to geographic locations in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harwell

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

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

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

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