The first name Harding
A boy’s name meaning “hard”.
Pronounced /ˈhɑɹdɪŋ/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Harding means “hard”.
Originally a patronymic from Hardy or from compound given names with the Germanic element *hard (“hard”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Harding at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 5 boys born in the United States were named Harding, the 12,697th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 235 were.
1,123
babies named Harding since 1880
#12,697
rank in 2025
1921
peak year
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Hardinge
Famous people named Harding
5 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ellery Harding ClarkAmerican track and field athlete (1874–1949)
- Richard Harding DavisAmerican journalist and fiction writer (1864–1916)
- Charles Harding FirthBritish military and political historian (1857–1936)
- Alonzo MourningAmerican basketball player (born 1970)
- Harold KelleyAmerican psychologist & academic (1921–2003)
Questions
- What does the name Harding mean?
- Harding means “hard”.
- Is Harding a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 1,123 US babies named Harding since 1880 were boys.
- When was Harding most popular?
- 1921 in the United States, when 235 babies were named Harding, its highest rank at 396th.
- How do you pronounce Harding?
- Harding is /ˈhɑɹdɪŋ/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Harding?
- Hardinge.
- Is Harding also a surname?
- Yes. Harding is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.