2000
#4,294
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,639
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.83
Rare Last name
Harrelson
An English occupational surname derived from either a rabbit hunter or a snare maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,579 Americans carry the last name Harrelson. That puts it at #4,600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,953 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harrelson 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.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 39,953
Census rank
#4,600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,481 bearers of the surname Harrelson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harrelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harrelson
The surname HARRELSON is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning "hare" and "hyll" meaning "hill" or "slope." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have hailed from a place associated with a hill frequented by hares.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where it appears as "Harelson." This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.
The HARRELSON surname has a strong connection to the county of Yorkshire in northern England. Historically, the name has been particularly prevalent in the areas around Doncaster and Rotherham.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various records, including the Parish Registers of Yorkshire. One notable example is William Harrelson, who was recorded in the Registers of Doncaster in 1587.
As the name spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Harelston, Harrilson, and Harillson, before eventually settling on the modern spelling of HARRELSON.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Robert Harrelson, who was born in 1612 in Rotherham, Yorkshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the local community.
Another notable figure was John Harrelson (1726-1804), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Doncaster and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring from service.
In the 19th century, the HARRELSON name gained recognition through the work of James Harrelson (1832-1899), a renowned architect from Yorkshire. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the region, including the Doncaster Town Hall.
Across the Atlantic, the name found its way to the United States, with several individuals bearing the HARRELSON surname making significant contributions. One such individual was Samuel Harrelson (1825-1892), a farmer and landowner from Tennessee, who played a role in the establishment of the local agricultural community.
Another noteworthy figure was William Harrelson (1870-1945), a businessman and philanthropist from North Carolina. He founded the Harrelson Textile Company, which became a major employer in the region, and was known for his charitable work in supporting education and community development.
Throughout its history, the HARRELSON surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, military officers, architects, farmers, and businessmen. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread across the globe, leaving a lasting impact on the communities it has touched.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harrelson
Among Census respondents with the surname Harrelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Harrelson 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 Harrelson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 6,745
- Two or more races3.4% · 255
- Black or African American3.0% · 228
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 174
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harrelson
Harrelson 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
#4,428
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,023
+384 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.72
Rank movement Down 134 places
2020
#4,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,481
-542 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 2.50
Rank movement Down 172 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,294 | 7,639 | 2.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,428 | 8,023 | 2.72 | +384 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 134 places |
| 2020 | #4,600 | 7,481 | 2.50 | -542 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 172 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 Harrelson 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 | #4,428 | #4,600 | -3.9% |
| Count | 8,023 | 7,481 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.72 | 2.50 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harrelson bearers went from 8,023 to 7,481 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 172 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,428 to #4,600.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Harrelson
FAQ
Harrelson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harrelson?
Name Census estimates that about 8,579 living Americans carry the surname Harrelson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,953 residents.
How common is Harrelson?
Harrelson ranks #4,600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,481 people with the surname Harrelson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,579), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Harrelson.
Has Harrelson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harrelson went from 8,023 recorded bearers to 7,481. That is a decrease of 542 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,428 to #4,600.
What does the Census say about the background of Harrelson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harrelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (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 Harrelson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (6,745 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harrelson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Black (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 Harrelson (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 Harrelson mean?
An English occupational surname derived from either a rabbit hunter or a snare maker. 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 Harrelson (2.50 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 Americans have the surname Harrelson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.