Hard Family History

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Hard Name Meaning

English: from the Old English personal name Heard or a Norman cognate Hard(on), also of Germanic origin. This was a byname meaning ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, ‘strong’, but it also seems to have been used as a short form of the various compound names containing this as a first element. Occasionally this may also be a variant of Hardy. English, German, Dutch, and Swedish (Hård): nickname for a stern or severe man, from Middle English, Middle Low German hard, Middle Dutch hart, hert, Swedish hård ‘hard’, ‘inflexible’. The Swedish name was probably originally a soldier’s name. English: topographic name for someone who lived on a patch of particularly hard ground or one that was difficult to farm. Compare Hardacre. Dutch: occupational name from Middle Dutch harde, herde ‘herder’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Hart, Hardt, Hare, Bard, Hand, Harp, Hardy, Yard, Herd, Hain

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Hard Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Hard name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Hard. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    50%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    17%

  • Germanic Europe

    7%

  • Norway

    6%

  • Sweden

    5%

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Hard Family Origin

Where is the Hard family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Hard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hard families were found in the USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 52 Hard families living in New York. This was about 32% of all the recorded Hard's in the USA. New York had the highest population of Hard families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hard surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Hard

    Hard Family Occupations

    What did your Hard ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, Farmer, Laborer and Keeping House were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Hard. A less common occupation for the Hard family was Carpenter. The most common Hard occupation in the USA was Farmer. 37% of Hard's were Farmers.

    View Census data for Hard | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      37%

    • Laborer

      7%

    • Keeping House

      5%

    • Carpenter

      3%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Hard ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Hard Historical Records

    What Hard family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 59,000 census records available for the last name Hard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Hard

    Passenger List

    There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Hard. 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 Hard immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 21,000 military records available for the last name Hard. For the veterans among your Hard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Hard military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Hard family history.

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    Hard Life Expectancy

    What is the average Hard lifespan?

    Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Hard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Hard in 1948 was 51, and 75 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hard

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Hard ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Hard Family Ancestors

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