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Home › Baby Names Directory › Harless

Harless

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Harless

Pronounced HAR-lus /ˈhɑr.ləs/Medium

Meaning: Harless is a transferred surname of German origin, likely from a personal name in the Herl or Harl group, carried into American first-name use; its precise literal meaning is unclear.Low

In 30 seconds: Harless is a German-rooted surname used as a first name. It appeared for a few American boys in the nineteen-twenties (said HAR-lus).
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Origin LowGerman, English
MeaningHarless is a transferred surname of German origin, likely from a personal name in the Herl or Harl group, carried into American first-name use; its precise literal meaning is unclear.
U.S. rank (1971)#5210 ↘ Falling
1971 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1928
Total births (all-time)≈ 428

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192818951971

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Harless is a surname of German origin adopted as a given name, a common Appalachian and Southern practice of passing a family name to a son. Its literal root is unclear, and it appeared for boys only rarely, around 1928.

It was never common, given to only about twenty boys a year at most, and it had faded by the nineteen-seventies. A boy named Harless then would be near a hundred today. It reads as a family surname-name rather than a name with a clear meaning.

Did you know? Harless is chiefly known as an American surname of German descent, and boys given the name were usually carrying on a family surname rather than a word meaning.
Overall data confidence 32%
References - Harless — German-rooted surname used as given name; meaning unclear

Variations

HarlissHarles

Nicknames

HarHarl

Famous Bearers

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If you like Harless…

Harlan— a like Har- surname name of the era
Harold— a like vintage Har- boys name
Arliss— shares the -liss surname sound
Charles— a familiar name of the same period

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Harless mean?

It is a transferred surname of German origin; its literal meaning is unclear.

How do you pronounce Harless?

It is said HAR-lus /ˈhɑr.ləs/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Harless a boy or girl name?

Harless is used as a boys name.

How popular is Harless?

It has always been rare, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-twenties.

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