Harlan is a given name and a surname which may refer to:

Surname

  • Abram D. Harlan (1833–1908), American politician from Pennsylvania
  • Bill Harlan (born 1940), American winemaker
  • Bob Harlan (1936–2026, Robert E. Harlan), American football executive
  • Bruce Harlan (1926–1959), American Olympic diver
  • Byron B. Harlan (1886–1949), American politician
  • Byron G. Harlan (1861–1936), American singer
  • Jack Rodney Harlan (1917–1998), American botanist
  • James Harlan (Iowa politician), (1820–1899), American politician and lawyer
  • James Harlan (Kentucky politician) (1800–1863), American politician and lawyer
  • Jan Harlan (born 1937), German-American film director and producer
  • John Harlan (announcer) (1925–2017), American television announcer
  • John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911), United States Union Army officer and Supreme Court Associate Justice
  • John Marshall Harlan II (1899–1971), American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
  • Josiah Harlan (1799–1871), American mercenary
  • Kevin Harlan (born 1960), American sportscaster
  • Otis Harlan (1865–1940), American actor
  • Patrick Harlan (born 1970), American-Japanese television presenter
  • Peter Harlan (1898–1966), German musical instrument maker and lute player
  • Richard Harlan (1796–1843), American zoologist
  • Russell Harlan (1903–1974), American cinematographer
  • Ryan Harlan (born 1981), American decathlete
  • Silas Harlan (1753–1782), American settler and militiaman
  • Thomas Harlan (1929–2010), German film director and writer
  • Veit Harlan (1899–1964), German film director and actor

Given name

  • Harlan Ala'alatoa (born 1988), Australian Rugby League player
  • Harlan Briggs (1879–1952), American actor, vaudeville performer
  • Harlan M. Calhoun (1903–1977), justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
  • Harlan Coben (born 1962), American novelist
  • Harlan Cohen (1934–2020), American volleyball coach
  • Harlan Ellison (1934–2018), American writer
  • Harlan Greene (born 1953), American writer and historian
  • Harlan Howard (1927–2001), American country music songwriter
  • Harlan Hubbard (1900–1988), American artist and author
  • Harlan Huckleby (born 1957), American football running back
  • Harlan Lane (1936–2019), American psychologist
  • Harlan Marbley (1943–2008), American boxer
  • Harlan Mills (1919–1996), American professor of computer science
  • Harlan F. Stone (1872–1946), U.S. Supreme Court Justice
  • Harlan K. Ullman (born 1941), United States military officer and political author
  • Jessie Harlan Lincoln (1875–1948), granddaughter of United States President Abraham Lincoln

Fictional characters

  • Harlan (Stargate), an artificial intelligence in the Stargate SG-1 episode "Tin Man"
  • Harlan Rook, in the 1988 film The Dead Pool
  • Harlan Jane Eagleton, in Gayl Jones's 1998 novel The Healing
  • Harlan Emple, a mathematician in the TV series Elementary, played by Rich Sommer. Sherlock Holmes uses the name Harlan Emple as a pseudonym in season 7, episode 2, Gutshot
  • Harlan Draka, in the Italian comic book series Dampyr
  • Harlan Traub, in House of Cards
  • Harlan Thrombey, in the 2019 film Knives Out
  • Harlan, an artificial intelligence and antagonist of the 2024 film Atlas, played by Simu Liu

See also

  • Christiane Kubrick (née Harlan) (born 1932), German actress, dancer, painter and singer
  • Harland (name)
  • Harlon, given name