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Harding Family History

Harding Name Meaning

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. 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.

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


Similar surnames: Hardin, Harting, Harling, Harring, Hartig, Haring, Herring, Darling

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Harding family from?

You can see how Harding families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Harding family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Harding families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 163 Harding families living in Massachusetts. This was about 23% of all the recorded Harding's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Harding families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Harding surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Harding ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Harding. 15% of Harding men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Harding women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Harding were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Harding | 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

  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    11%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    7%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Harding family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 669,000 census records available for the last name Harding. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Harding census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Harding

Passenger Lists

There are 60,000 immigration records available for the last name Harding. 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 Harding immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 68,000 military records available for the last name Harding. For the veterans among your Harding ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Harding military records

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What is the average Harding lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Harding life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Harding in 1941 was 44, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Harding

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