History of your Surname
Get access to Harder family records.Start a free trial

Harder Family History

Harder Name Meaning

English: occupational name from an agent noun derived from Middle English hardenen ‘to make hard’ (Old English heardian) denoting a hardener of metals (used by Chaucer) and elsewhere a baker who hardened dough with heat. North German and Danish: from the ancient Germanic personal name Harther composed of the elements hard ‘strong hard’+ heri ‘army’. South German: topographic name from Middle High German hart ‘woodland used as pasture’ or a habitational name for someone from any of the places called with this word. Dutch: vowel variant of Herder an occupational name for a shepherd.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Herder, Harden, Harker, Halder, Hader, Harper, Harrer, Harer, Harter

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Harder family from?

You can see how Harder families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Harder family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Harder families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 59 Harder families living in New York. This was about 65% of all the recorded Harder's in USA. New York had the highest population of Harder families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Harder surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Harder ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Harder. 23% of Harder men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Harder women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Harder were Carpenter and Maid. .

View Census Data for Harder | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    23%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Maid
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Harder family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 72,000 census records available for the last name Harder. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Harder census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Harder

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Harder. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Harder immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Harder. For the veterans among your Harder ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Harder military records

You've only scratched the surface of Harder family history

Discover More

What is the average Harder lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Harder life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Harder in 1944 was 39, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Harder

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Harder family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Harder last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial