# Harvard (surname)

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

A surname transferred from the given name.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 1,098 |
| US rank (2010) | 23,222 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 281,189 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.6% (1,050 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɑɹvəɹd/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

A variant of Harward reflecting the merger of /v/ and /w/ in the dialects of southeastern England; thus from Middle English Herward, Herreward, itself from Old English Hereweard and a doublet of Harward and Hereward. Compare German Herwarth.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Harvard 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) | 54% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 40% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.3% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Harvard in the United States.

## People named Harvard

- Allison Harvard, American model and actress
- Russell Harvard, American actor

## Similar surnames

Harford, Harper, Harber, Harbor, Herbert, Harbour, Harbert, Hereford, Herber.

## 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.