2000
#101,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Haward
An occupational surname derived from the Old English "hæwere" meaning hayward or keeper of cattle and livestock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 361 Americans carry the last name Haward. That puts it at #67,529 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 949,458 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haward 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 Haward with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
361
1 in 949,458
Census rank
#67,529
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
315
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 315 bearers of the surname Haward in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67529th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haward, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.0%. The next largest groups are Black (38.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haward
The surname Haward has its origins in England, emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from areas or places called Haward or similar spellings. One potential source is the Old English word 'haeworth', meaning a hedged enclosure or homestead.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to places like 'Haworth' and 'Hawarde' that may have influenced the surname's development. These place names likely evolved from Old English words related to enclosures or homesteads.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Haward can be found in various medieval records and documents. One notable example is William Haward, a merchant and landowner in Somerset, England, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1349. Another early bearer of the name was John Haward, a cleric from Norfolk, England, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1381.
Over the centuries, the surname has been spelled in various ways, including Haward, Howard, Hayward, and Heyward. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.
One notable individual with this surname was Sir John Haward (c. 1470-1522), a prominent English landowner and courtier during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He served as the Lieutenant of the Tower of London and played a significant role in suppressing the Cornish Rebellion in 1497.
Another historical figure bearing the Haward surname was Thomas Haward (c. 1535-1572), an English Jesuit priest and missionary who was martyred for his faith during the Reformation. He was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1987.
In the literary realm, the English poet and playwright Robert Haward (1626-1698) gained recognition for his plays and translations of classical works. He was part of the literary circle of the Earl of Rochester and is considered a significant figure in the Restoration period of English literature.
Sir Francis Haward (1647-1686) was an English naval officer and politician who served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1679 to 1681. He played a notable role in the colony's defense against Spanish and pirate attacks during his tenure.
Lastly, Sir Edmund Haward (1701-1787) was a British naval officer and politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Arundel from 1741 to 1768. He had a distinguished naval career, participating in various battles during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haward
Among Census respondents with the surname Haward, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.0%. The next largest groups are Black (38.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Haward 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 Haward surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.0% · 170
- Black or African American38.1% · 120
- Two or more races4.1% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haward
Haward 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-38 bearers (-23.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,209 places
2020
#67,529
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 315
+189 bearers (+150.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 66,334 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #101,654 | 164 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -38 bearers (-23.2%) | Down 32,209 places |
| 2020 | #67,529 | 315 | 0.11 | +189 bearers (+150.0%) | Up 66,334 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 Haward 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 | #133,863 | #67,529 | 49.6% |
| Count | 126 | 315 | 150.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.11 | 163.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haward bearers went from 126 to 315 (+150.0% change). The surname moved up 66,334 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #67,529.
FAQ
Haward surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haward?
Name Census estimates that about 361 living Americans carry the surname Haward. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 949,458 residents.
How common is Haward?
Haward ranks #67,529 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 315 people with the surname Haward. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (361), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Haward.
Has Haward become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haward went from 126 recorded bearers to 315. That is an increase of 189 (+150.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #133,863 to #67,529.
What does the Census say about the background of Haward?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haward, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.0%. The next largest groups are Black (38.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Haward in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.0% (170 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haward appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.0%), Black (38.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Haward (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 Haward mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English "hæwere" meaning hayward or keeper of cattle and livestock. 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 Haward (0.11 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 Haward?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Haward on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.