NameCensus.

UK surname

Hara

A Japanese surname meaning "field" or "plain," or referring to someone who lived near or worked in fields.

In the 1881 census there were 41 people recorded with the Hara surname, ranking it #27,870 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 231, ranked #17,764, up from #27,870 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Carlisle St Cuthbert, Newcastle All Saints and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hara is 270 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 463.4%.

1881 census count

41

Ranked #27,870

Modern count

231

2016, ranked #17,764

Peak year

1891

270 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hara had 41 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,870 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 231 in 2016, ranked #17,764.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 270 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hara surname distribution map

The map shows where the Hara surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Hara surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hara over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 75 #20,268
1861 historical 227 #10,749
1881 historical 41 #27,870
1891 historical 270 #12,027
1901 historical 87 #24,386
1911 historical 131 #19,404
1997 modern 163 #20,038
1998 modern 165 #20,423
1999 modern 159 #21,030
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 159 #20,710
2002 modern 178 #19,671
2003 modern 182 #19,215
2004 modern 206 #17,883
2005 modern 185 #19,051
2006 modern 196 #18,512
2007 modern 204 #18,251
2008 modern 204 #18,403
2009 modern 218 #18,015
2010 modern 228 #17,844
2011 modern 222 #17,999
2012 modern 220 #18,034
2013 modern 225 #18,027
2014 modern 233 #17,707
2015 modern 233 #17,627
2016 modern 231 #17,764

Geography

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Where Haras are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Carlisle St Cuthbert, Newcastle All Saints, Toxteth Park, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire and Newcastle upon Tyne. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 008 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 045 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 044 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 011 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hara

These lists show first names that appear often with the Hara surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hara

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hara, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Hara surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hara household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Hara is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hara is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hara falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hara is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hara, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hara

The surname HARA originated in Japan during the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD). It is derived from the Japanese word "hara" which means "field" or "plain". This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who lived in or worked on a field or plain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HARA surname can be found in the Kamakura-era manuscript "Azuma Kagami" (The Mirror of the East). This historical chronicle mentions several individuals with the HARA surname, indicating that it was already an established family name by the 13th century.

During the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the HARA surname was particularly prominent in the Hida region of present-day Gifu Prefecture. The village of Hara-mura (Hara Village) in this area likely took its name from the HARA family who were among the earliest settlers there.

One notable figure from this period was HARA Tameaki (1591-1633), a samurai and retainer of the powerful Tokugawa clan. He played a crucial role in the Siege of Osaka Castle, one of the major conflicts of the Sengoku period.

In the Meiji era (1868-1912), HARA Takashi (1856-1923) was a prominent statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1918 to 1921. He is remembered for his efforts to promote democracy and civil liberties in Japan during a turbulent time of social and political change.

Another notable HARA was the artist HARA Kiyoo (1935-1997), whose abstract paintings and sculptures earned him international recognition. He was particularly known for his use of avant-garde techniques and his exploration of the relationship between form and space.

In the world of literature, HARA Tamiki (1905-1951) was a celebrated author and poet. His works, which often explored themes of nature and the human condition, were deeply influenced by the traditional Japanese aesthetic principles of wabi-sabi and mono no aware.

While the HARA surname has its roots in Japan, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Japanese diaspora populations. However, the historical origins of the name can be traced back to the fields and plains of medieval Japan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hara families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hara surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 10 Haras recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.52x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 10 2.52x
Middlesex 9 2.25x
Northumberland 7 11.76x
Lanarkshire 6 4.64x
Lancashire 6 1.26x
Surrey 2 1.03x
Monmouthshire 1 3.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bowling in Yorkshire leads with 10 Haras recorded in 1881 and an index of 254.45x.

Place Total Index
Bowling 10 254.45x
Newcastle On Tyne St 7 227.27x
Bethnal Green London 5 28.79x
Glasgow 5 21.77x
Broughton In Salford 2 46.08x
Islington London 2 5.16x
Layton With Warbreck 2 114.94x
Aberystruth 1 39.22x
Camberwell 1 3.91x
Maryhill 1 39.53x
Paddington London 1 6.80x
Rusholme 1 78.74x
St Pancras London 1 3.11x
Warrington 1 17.76x
Wimbledon 1 45.66x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hara surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Ann 3
Sarah 2
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Laura 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hara surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 6
James 5
Thomas 2
C.H.D. 1
Charles 1
Joseph 1
Michal 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Hara households.

FAQ

Hara surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hara surname in 1881?

In 1881, 41 people were recorded with the Hara surname. That placed it at #27,870 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hara surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 231 in 2016. That gives Hara a modern rank of #17,764.

What does the Hara surname mean?

A Japanese surname meaning "field" or "plain," or referring to someone who lived near or worked in fields.

What does the Hara map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hara bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.