About the Harshberger Surname

Harshberger is a familiar spelling of the Swiss name Hershberger. Taken at its root, Harshberger points to “Deer mountain”. Harshberger writes “a” in place of the “e” found in Hershberger, a typical scribal difference. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Related forms: Hirschberger.

The 2010 census count for Harshberger in the United States was 490, good for rank 43,969. It sits among the 50,000 most common last names in the country.

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Hershberger surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. Research your Harshberger family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.