Explore the Family Name Harding
The meaning of Harding
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Harding (Old English Hearding, literally ‘the hard one’ a derivative of Old English heard ‘hard, harsh, strong, firm, brave’). The surname was first taken to Ireland in the 15th century, and more families of the name settled there 200 years later in Tipperary and surrounding counties. 2. North German and Dutch: patronymic from a short form of any of various ancient Germanic compound personal names beginning with hard ‘hardy, brave, strong’, or a habitational name from a farm named Harding, of the same etymology. History: Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865–1923), the 29th president of the US, was born on a farm in OH, of English and Scottish stock on his father’s side. Early American bearers of this very common name include Joseph Harding who died at Plymouth in 1633. His great-great grandson Seth was a naval officer during the American Revolution.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Harding in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Harding" has seen minor shifts. In 2000, it ranked 823rd in commonality whereas by 2010, it fell slightly to 871st, marking a decrease of 5.83%. Nonetheless, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Harding surname increased from 38,340 in 2000 to 39,787 in 2010, a rise of 3.77%. The proportion of the Harding surname per 100,000 people also decreased slightly from 14.21 to 13.49 during the same time period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #823 | #871 | -5.83% |
| Count | 38,340 | 39,787 | 3.77% |
| Proportion per 100k | 14.21 | 13.49 | -5.07% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Harding
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Harding surname, there were several shifts according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of those identifying as White dropped slightly from 82.19% in 2000 to 80.14% in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black saw an increase from 13.20% to 13.64%. There was also a significant rise in the Hispanic category, which went from 1.62% to 2.53%, marking a notable change of 56.17%. Furthermore, individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity and those identifying as two or more races also saw increases of 10.91% and 33.54% respectively. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category experienced a modest increase from 0.81% to 0.88%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.19% | 80.14% | -2.49% |
| Black | 13.2% | 13.64% | 3.33% |
| Hispanic | 1.62% | 2.53% | 56.17% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 2.19% | 33.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.81% | 0.88% | 8.64% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.61% | 10.91% |
Harding 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 Harding is British & Irish, which comprises 54.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.2%) and Scandinavian (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.0% |
| French & German | 24.2% |
| Scandinavian | 4.3% |
| Other | 17.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Harding
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 Harding have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
What Harding 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 Harding is R-Z2961, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z2961 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Johnson, White, Green, Thompson, Taylor, Cooper, Mitchell, Brown, Hill.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Harding surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Harding 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.
"Harding" Surname 41.6%
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.
"Harding" Surname 28.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Harding" Surname 17.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Harding" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Harding?
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 Harding are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition