2000
#3,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,799
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.26
Rare Last name
Harry
A surname derived from the medieval English personal name Harry or Henry, or from the Old English word "hæra," meaning "army ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,946 Americans carry the last name Harry. That puts it at #3,964 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harry 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 Harry with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.9K
1 in 34,462
Census rank
#3,964
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,673 bearers of the surname Harry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3964th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harry, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.9%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harry
The surname Harry originates from the English language and can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hær," meaning "army" or "warrior." The name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was a soldier or a member of the armed forces.
In early records, the name appears with various spellings, such as Herry, Hary, and Harey. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named William Harei in Berkshire.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Harry was particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk in eastern England. Many individuals bearing this name were recorded in medieval tax rolls and court records from these regions.
One notable bearer of the surname Harry was Sir John Harry, a member of the English Parliament who lived in the 14th century. Another early example is William Harry, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London, who was recorded in documents from the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Harrie, Harrye, and Harrey. During this period, several individuals with the surname Harry made significant contributions to English history and culture.
One such person was William Harrey (c. 1530-1599), an English physician and scholar who is considered one of the founders of modern anatomy and physiology. He authored several influential works, including "De Motu Cordis" (On the Motion of the Heart and Blood).
Another notable figure was Thomas Harrys (c. 1570-1631), an English composer and organist who served as the organist at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. His compositions included anthems, madrigals, and other sacred works.
In the 17th century, the surname Harry continued to be prominent, particularly in the counties of Essex and Suffolk. One notable bearer was John Harrey (1633-1692), an English politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament for Thetford.
As time progressed, the surname Harry spread to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to other English-speaking countries through immigration and colonization. Today, the name is found in various spellings, including Harry, Harrie, and Harrey, throughout the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and other nations with historical ties to Britain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harry
Among Census respondents with the surname Harry, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.9%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Harry 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 Harry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.5% · 4,729
- Black or African American28.9% · 2,510
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 436
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 401
- Two or more races4.0% · 351
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 246
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harry
Harry 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
#3,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,311
+512 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 3.16
Rank movement Down 99 places
2020
#3,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,673
-638 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 2.90
Rank movement Down 162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,703 | 8,799 | 3.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,802 | 9,311 | 3.16 | +512 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 99 places |
| 2020 | #3,964 | 8,673 | 2.90 | -638 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 162 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 Harry 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 | #3,802 | #3,964 | -4.3% |
| Count | 9,311 | 8,673 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.16 | 2.90 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harry bearers went from 9,311 to 8,673 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 162 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,802 to #3,964.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Harry
FAQ
Harry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harry?
Name Census estimates that about 9,946 living Americans carry the surname Harry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,462 residents.
How common is Harry?
Harry ranks #3,964 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.90 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 8,673 people with the surname Harry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,946), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.90 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 Harry.
Has Harry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harry went from 9,311 recorded bearers to 8,673. That is a decrease of 638 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,802 to #3,964.
What does the Census say about the background of Harry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harry, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.9%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Harry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.5% (4,729 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.5%), Black (28.9%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Harry (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 Harry mean?
A surname derived from the medieval English personal name Harry or Henry, or from the Old English word "hæra," meaning "army ruler." 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 Harry (2.90 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 Harry?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.