Explore the Family Name Harb
The meaning of Harb
1. Arabic (mainly Egypt and the Levant): from an ancient Arabic personal name based on the word ḥarb ‘war’. Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians. 2. German: possibly a topographic name for someone living by a swamp, Old High German hor. It is also found in Switzerland. 3. Austrian German: nickname for a harsh, bitter, or unfriendly person, from the South German adjective harb (Middle High German harw) ‘wicked, angry’. This surname is also found in Slovenia. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Ali, Imad, Walid, Jamil, Mohamad, Sami, Youssef, Azizeh, Bassam, Bassem, Beshara, Elham.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Harb in the United States?
The surname Harb has seen a rise in popularity according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In the year 2000, Harb was the 17,001st most popular surname, but by 2010, it had climbed up the ranks to become the 14,761st most common surname, marking a significant increase of 13.18%. The actual count of individuals with this surname also grew from 1,540 in 2000 to 2,012 in 2010, which is an increase of 30.65%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Harb per 100,000 people also increased by 19.3% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,001 | #14,761 | 13.18% |
| Count | 1,540 | 2,012 | 30.65% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.57 | 0.68 | 19.3% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Harb
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the Harb surname is predominantly associated with the White ethnic identity. In 2000, approximately 80.78% of individuals with this surname identified as White, and this number rose to 88.17% in 2010, showing an increase of 9.15%. The next largest ethnic group associated with this surname in 2000 was those identifying with two or more races at 12.14%, however, this dropped significantly to 4.42% in 2010. There was a slight increase in the percentage of individuals with the Harb surname identifying as Hispanic, from 5.32% in 2000 to 5.77% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentages of Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian and Alaskan Native were relatively low or non-existent. The category for Asian/Pacific Islander saw a growth of 29.76% during this decade, while the other categories remained static.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.78% | 88.17% | 9.15% |
| Hispanic | 5.32% | 5.77% | 8.46% |
| Two or More Races | 12.14% | 4.42% | -63.59% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.84% | 1.09% | 29.76% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Harb ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Harb is Levantine, which comprises 60.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (7.9%) and British & Irish (7.3%). Additional ancestries include Egyptian, Spanish & Portuguese, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, Indigenous American, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Levantine | 60.7% |
| French & German | 7.9% |
| British & Irish | 7.3% |
| Other | 24.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Harb
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Harb have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Lebanon, and Syria.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Beirut Governorate, Lebanon | 67.20% |
| Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon | 65.60% |
| Nabatiyeh Governorate, Lebanon | 62.30% |
| Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon | 62.30% |
| South Governorate, Lebanon | 59.00% |
What Harb haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Harb is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Harb surname are: H, N1, J1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Harb have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Harb" Surname 61.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Harb" Surname 35.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Harb?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Harb are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition