Explore the Family Name Hardy
The meaning of Hardy
1. English, French, and Walloon: nickname for a brave or foolhardy man, from Old French, Middle English hardi ‘bold, courageous’. The surname of Walloon origin is also found in the Flemish part of Belgium (mainly in Belgian Limburg). Compare Hard 2. 2. Irish: in addition to being an importation of the English name, this is also found as an Anglicized form (by partial translation) of Gaelic Mac Giolla Deacair ‘son of the hard lad’. 3. Americanized form of Swiss German Härdi: from a pet form of an ancient Germanic personal name composed with hard ‘brave, strong’. 4. Polish: nickname from hardy ‘haughty, proud’ (compare Gardy). History: Jean Hardy from Le Havre in Seine-Maritime, France, married Marie Poiré in Quebec City, QC, in 1669.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hardy in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Hardy changed between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Hardy was ranked as the 374th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had slipped to the 399th position, reflecting a decrease in popularity of around 6.68 percent. Despite this fall in ranking, the actual count of individuals bearing the Hardy surname increased from 76,608 in 2000 to 80,252 in 2010 – a growth of 4.76 percent. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, the popularity of Hardy decreased by 4.19 percent over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #374 | #399 | -6.68% |
| Count | 76,608 | 80,252 | 4.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 28.4 | 27.21 | -4.19% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hardy
In terms of ethnicity, the makeup of those with the Hardy surname also shifted somewhat during the same period, as reflected in the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Hardy individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native all increased, with the largest increase observed in the Hispanic category at 53.10 percent. Meanwhile, those identifying as White saw a decrease of about 3.46 percent. Despite these shifts, the majority of individuals with the Hardy name still identified as either White (61.47 percent) or Black (32.34 percent) as of 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 63.67% | 61.47% | -3.46% |
| Black | 31.73% | 32.34% | 1.92% |
| Two or More Races | 1.65% | 2.27% | 37.58% |
| Hispanic | 1.45% | 2.22% | 53.1% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.1% | 1.2% | 9.09% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.39% | 0.5% | 28.21% |
Hardy 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 Hardy is British & Irish, which comprises 51.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.9%) and Nigerian (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.9% |
| French & German | 21.9% |
| Nigerian | 4.0% |
| Other | 22.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Hardy
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 Hardy have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 80.70% |
What Hardy 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 Hardy is R-M467, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M467 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and E-V13, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mason, Edwards, Lang, Dean, James, Cooper, Rose, Green, Wilson, Clark.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hardy surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
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 Hardy 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
Like Very Hot Weather
Enjoys weather that is hotter than 100 degrees Farenheit.
"Hardy" Surname 12.0%
23andMe Users 11.5%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Hardy" Surname 28.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hardy" Surname 22.0%
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.
"Hardy" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hardy?
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 Hardy are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition