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

Harwood, 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 Harwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harwood in America

Harwood is the 3212th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harwood surname appeared 11,238 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Harwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harwood 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 Harwood

The surname Harwood has its roots in England, originating in the late 11th or early 12th century. It is a locational name derived from various places in England called Harwood, meaning "the hare wood" or "the wood frequented by hares." The name likely originated in areas where these woodlands were located, such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Northumberland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Harwood can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a person named Willelmus de Harewode. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, also contains references to places with similar names, such as Harewood in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

In the 13th century, the surname Harwood appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentioned individuals named Harewode in counties like Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 also recorded several instances of the surname in different spellings, such as Harwode and Harewode.

Notable historical figures with the surname Harwood include John Harwood (c. 1512-1554), an English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Hereford during the reign of Edward VI. Another prominent individual was Sir Edward Harwood (1598-1663), an English politician who served as a member of the House of Commons during the English Civil War.

In the literary realm, Sir John Harwood (1589-1653) was an English poet and translator, known for his translations of works by Virgil and Ovid. Sir Nathaniel Harwood (1662-1711) was a notable English merchant and landowner in the West Indies, who played a significant role in the early colonization of the Bahamas.

Sir Robert Harwood (1718-1779) was a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the American Revolutionary War, particularly in the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781. His actions contributed to the eventual surrender of British forces at Yorktown, marking a pivotal moment in the conflict.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Harwood who made notable contributions throughout history, reflecting the rich heritage and diverse backgrounds associated with this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harwood

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

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

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

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