2000
#22,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,083
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Harkin
An occupational surname for someone who worked as a servant or messenger.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,471 Americans carry the last name Harkin. That puts it at #20,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 233,008 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harkin 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 Harkin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 233,008
Census rank
#20,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,283 bearers of the surname Harkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harkin
The surname Harkin is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Arachán." This name is believed to have originated in the 10th or 11th century and was likely a diminutive form of the name "Arascach," meaning "having abundant possessions."
The earliest recorded references to the name Harkin can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. These annals mention several individuals bearing the name, including Maolsheachlainn Ó hAracháin, who was slain in battle in 1138.
During the Middle Ages, the name Harkin was most prevalent in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in the regions of Ulster and Connacht. It was associated with several prominent Irish clans and families, such as the Ó hAracháin and Ó Nialláin septs.
One notable bearer of the name was Muircheartach Ó hAracháin (c. 1340-1418), a renowned Irish poet and scholar who was a member of the esteemed bardic family of Sil Muiredhaigh. His works, which included religious and historical poems, were highly regarded in his time.
In the 16th century, the name Harkin appeared in various forms, such as Harakyn, Haraccan, and Harakin, due to the lack of standardized spelling at the time. One example is Piers Harakyn, who was mentioned in the Fiants of Elizabeth I, a collection of royal letters and decrees issued during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century.
Another notable individual with the surname Harkin was Patrick Harkin (c. 1590-1653), a Catholic priest and theologian who played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s. He served as a chaplain in the Confederate forces and was involved in diplomatic efforts to secure support from continental Europe.
In the 18th century, the name Harkin continued to be found in various parts of Ireland, particularly in counties like Donegal, Sligo, and Mayo. One prominent figure from this period was John Harkin (1725-1789), a wealthy landowner and merchant from County Donegal who was actively involved in local politics and community affairs.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Harkin spread beyond Ireland due to emigration and the Irish diaspora. Individuals bearing this name can be found in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Harkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Harkin 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 Harkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 1,186
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 48
- Two or more races1.6% · 20
- Black or African American1.3% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harkin
Harkin 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
#24,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 998
-85 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 2,692 places
2020
#20,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,283
+285 bearers (+28.6%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 4,060 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,222 | 1,083 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,914 | 998 | 0.34 | -85 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 2,692 places |
| 2020 | #20,854 | 1,283 | 0.43 | +285 bearers (+28.6%) | Up 4,060 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 Harkin 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 | #24,914 | #20,854 | 16.3% |
| Count | 998 | 1,283 | 28.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.43 | 26.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harkin bearers went from 998 to 1,283 (+28.6% change). The surname moved up 4,060 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,914 to #20,854.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Harkin
FAQ
Harkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harkin?
Name Census estimates that about 1,471 living Americans carry the surname Harkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 233,008 residents.
How common is Harkin?
Harkin ranks #20,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,283 people with the surname Harkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,471), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Harkin.
Has Harkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harkin went from 998 recorded bearers to 1,283. That is an increase of 285 (+28.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #24,914 to #20,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Harkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Harkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,186 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Harkin (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 Harkin mean?
An occupational surname for someone who worked as a servant or messenger. 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 Harkin (0.43 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 are called Harkin?
See how many Americans have the surname Harkin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.