2000
#9,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,311
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Havard
A locational surname referring to someone from any of various places called Havard, likely derived from Old Norse hár-varðr, meaning "high ward."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,764 Americans carry the last name Havard. That puts it at #9,478 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,061 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Havard 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 Havard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 91,061
Census rank
#9,478
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,282 bearers of the surname Havard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9478th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Havard, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Havard
The surname Havard has its origins in the British Isles, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period of England. It is believed to be derived from the Old English personal name "Hafard," which was composed of the elements "haf" meaning "sea" and "ard" meaning "hardy" or "brave."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hauard" in Gloucestershire. This suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name Havard was prevalent in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire. It was also found in Wales, where it was often spelled as "Haward" or "Howard."
Notable individuals bearing the surname Havard throughout history include:
1. John Havard (c. 1572-1637), an English clergyman and writer who served as the chaplain to King James I.
2. William Havard (1648-1678), an English philosopher and author of "The Grand Apologie of the Illustrious Emperor Justinian."
3. Henry Havard (1809-1876), a British painter and writer known for his works on art history and criticism.
4. Valerie Havard (1920-2003), a French actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and theatrical productions.
5. David Havard (born 1956), a Welsh rugby union player who played for Bridgend RFC and the Welsh national team in the 1970s and 1980s.
The name Havard has also been associated with various place names, such as Havard's Manor in Gloucestershire, which was mentioned in records dating back to the 13th century. Additionally, the surname has been linked to the village of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales, where it was likely derived from the Welsh place name "Hwlffordd."
Over the centuries, the surname Havard has undergone various spelling variations, including Havard, Haward, Harvard, and Howart, reflecting the fluidity of English orthography and regional dialects. However, the core meaning and heritage of the name have remained consistent, representing the brave and hardy spirit of its Anglo-Saxon origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Havard
Among Census respondents with the surname Havard, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Havard 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 Havard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 2,810
- Black or African American7.5% · 245
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 97
- Two or more races2.9% · 96
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Havard
Havard 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
#9,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,495
+184 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 238 places
2020
#9,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,282
-213 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 164 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,076 | 3,311 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,314 | 3,495 | 1.18 | +184 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 238 places |
| 2020 | #9,478 | 3,282 | 1.10 | -213 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 164 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 Havard 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 | #9,314 | #9,478 | -1.8% |
| Count | 3,495 | 3,282 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.10 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Havard bearers went from 3,495 to 3,282 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 164 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,314 to #9,478.
FAQ
Havard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Havard?
Name Census estimates that about 3,764 living Americans carry the surname Havard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,061 residents.
How common is Havard?
Havard ranks #9,478 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 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 3,282 people with the surname Havard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,764), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 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 Havard.
Has Havard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Havard went from 3,495 recorded bearers to 3,282. That is a decrease of 213 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,314 to #9,478.
What does the Census say about the background of Havard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Havard, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Havard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (2,810 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Havard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (7.5%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Havard (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 Havard mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of various places called Havard, likely derived from Old Norse hár-varðr, meaning "high ward." 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 Havard (1.10 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 have the surname Havard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.