2000
#10,207
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,898
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Haring
A surname of Dutch origin, derived from the Middle Dutch word "haring," meaning "herring," likely referring to a fisherman or fish merchant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,129 Americans carry the last name Haring. That puts it at #11,100 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,541 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haring 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 Haring with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,541
Census rank
#11,100
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,729 bearers of the surname Haring in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11100th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haring, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haring
The surname Haring has its roots in the Low German and Dutch languages, with origins tracing back to the Netherlands and Germany. It is believed to have derived from the Old Dutch word "haring," which means "herring," referring to the fish.
In the Middle Ages, the Haring name was likely first adopted by individuals who were involved in the herring trade or lived near areas known for herring fishing. Surnames based on occupations and geographic features were common during this period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Haring surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was spelled as "Hering" in this historical document.
In the Netherlands, the Haring name has a long and distinguished history. Pieter Haring (1510-1591) was a notable Dutch painter and stained glass artist active during the Renaissance period. His works can be found in churches and museums throughout the Netherlands.
Moving to Germany, the Haring surname has also been present for centuries. Johann Haring (1705-1778) was a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification.
In the 19th century, the Haring name gained prominence in the United States. John Haring (1839-1896) was an American Civil War veteran and politician who served as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1889 to 1893.
Another notable figure was Keith Haring (1958-1990), an American artist and social activist known for his graffiti-inspired pop art and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. His works have been exhibited in museums worldwide and have become iconic symbols of the 1980s art scene.
The Haring surname has also been associated with various place names in the Netherlands and Germany, such as Haringhuizen and Haringen, further reflecting its etymological roots and geographic origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haring
Among Census respondents with the surname Haring, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Haring 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 Haring surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 2,515
- Two or more races3.2% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 24
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haring
Haring 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
#10,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,997
+99 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 464 places
2020
#11,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,729
-268 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 429 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,207 | 2,898 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,671 | 2,997 | 1.02 | +99 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 464 places |
| 2020 | #11,100 | 2,729 | 0.91 | -268 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 429 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 Haring 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 | #10,671 | #11,100 | -4.0% |
| Count | 2,997 | 2,729 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.91 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haring bearers went from 2,997 to 2,729 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 429 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,671 to #11,100.
FAQ
Haring surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haring?
Name Census estimates that about 3,129 living Americans carry the surname Haring. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,541 residents.
How common is Haring?
Haring ranks #11,100 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,729 people with the surname Haring. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,129), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Haring.
Has Haring become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haring went from 2,997 recorded bearers to 2,729. That is a decrease of 268 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,671 to #11,100.
What does the Census say about the background of Haring?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haring, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Haring in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,515 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haring appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Haring (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 Haring mean?
A surname of Dutch origin, derived from the Middle Dutch word "haring," meaning "herring," likely referring to a fisherman or fish merchant. 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 Haring (0.91 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 Haring?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Haring on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.