Explore the Family Name Harstad

The meaning of Harstad

Norwegian: habitational name from any of several farmsteads, notably in southeastern Norway, so named from the Old Norse personal name Hǫrthr (someone from Hǫrthaland) or Hárekr (from Há, which is unexplained, + rekr ‘powerful, ruler’) + stathr ‘farmstead, dwelling’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Harstad in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Harstad saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 22,196 in popularity and fell to 22,689 by 2010, representing a decline of 2.22%. However, the number of individuals bearing this surname increased during this period, with a count of 1,085 in 2000 and 1,130 in 2010, indicating a growth rate of 4.15%. The proportion of the Harstad name per 100k people also dipped slightly from 0.4 in 2000 to 0.38 in 2010, showing a drop of 5%.

20002010Change
Rank#22,196#22,689-2.22%
Count1,0851,1304.15%
Proportion per 100k0.40.38-5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Harstad

Regarding the ethnic identity of those carrying the Harstad surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority identify as White, with 95.94% in 2000 and 95.22% in 2010, marking a minor reduction of 0.75%. Those identifying with two or more races grew from 1.47% to 1.95%, an increase of 32.65%. Remarkably, there was an emergence of Asian/Pacific Islanders bearing the Harstad surname, which was not recorded in 2000, but stood at 0.88% in 2010. Individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native declined from 1.20% to 1.06%, a fall of 11.67%. The percentage of Hispanics and Blacks bearing the Harstad surname remained stagnant at 0% during this decennium.

20002010Change
White95.94%95.22%-0.75%
Two or More Races1.47%1.95%32.65%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.2%1.06%-11.67%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0.88%0%
Hispanic0.65%0%0%
Black0%0%0%