Harshman
A surname most likely built from the word “harsh,” probably as a descriptive nickname or an altered family name form.
The #8,971 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,657 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Harshman is most likely an English-language surname formed from the adjective "harsh," with the element "-man" added in a way that often turned a personal description, byname, or older surname into a hereditary family name. In that sense, it would have meant something like "the harsh one" or "the man associated with Harsh." The exact pathway is not certain, and in some families the name may reflect later spelling change from a similar-looking surname.
History
The surname is especially found in the United States, where many such names were stabilized by immigration, local record keeping, and phonetic spelling. Because it is relatively uncommon, individual family lines may not share a single origin, and some bearers may descend from an altered German or Dutch surname rather than from an original English nickname. The name is therefore best treated as a likely descriptive surname with possible multiple branches.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Names ending in "-man" are often not occupational at all; in surnames they can simply intensify or reshape an older nickname or family name.