Harlan
A surname with uncertain origins, often explained as a place-name or as a reduced form related to older personal names.
The #3,188 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,229 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The evidence is mixed, and the surname has been explained in more than one way. The excerpt provided points to an English local origin, with one older form apparently associated with Lilley in Hertfordshire. It also hints that the name may be linked to a personal-name tradition rather than a single straightforward place meaning, so the derivation is not entirely secure.
History
Harlan appears in English records in medieval and later forms, and the name later became established in English-speaking countries, especially the United States. Because several different explanations have been proposed, its early history is not fully settled. In modern usage it is best known as a given name as well as a surname in the U.S.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is uncommon but has become more familiar in the U.S. through use as both a family name and a first name.
From the historical record
“use, as it is found as a surname in the Hundred Rolls ; cf. Marion for Mary, now Harlan. Geoffrey LlUoo, co. BcdT, 1173. A. (a) Local, 'of Lilley.'aparishin CO. Hertf., four miles from Luton.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances