# Harlan (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/harlan/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Old English.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 11,339 |
| US rank (2010) | 3,188 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 27,229 people |
| Change since 2000 | +5.2% (10,775 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

American contraction of Harland, from Old English har (“grey”) / hara (“hare”) + land (“land”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Harlan in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 84% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 8.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.7% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.1% |
| Two or more races | 2.0% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Harlan in the United States and Germany.

## People named Harlan

- Bruce Harlan, American diver (1926–1959)
- Otis Harlan, American actor (1865-1940)
- Kenneth Harlan, American actor (1895–1967)
- Jan Harlan, American film director and producer
- Richard Harlan, American zoologist (1796-1843)
- James Harlan, American politician (1820-1899)
- Josiah Harlan, American mercenary and prince (1799–1871)
- Russell Harlan, American cinematographer (1903-1974)

## Similar surnames

Harlin, Harland, Harling.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.