Harris (surname)
Harris is a (patronymic or paternal) family name of British and also Irish origins, and has many different spellings, none of which are definitive or "correct". These spellings are largely regional which, when combined with the fact that the spelling of modern English was only standardised in the 17th through 19th centuries, has led to different branches of the same families having different spellings of the name. Harris is the 23rd most common surname in England and 21st most common surname in the United States.[1]
Origin | |
---|---|
Word/name | Old English Gaelic |
Meaning | Son of Harry, Pet form of Harry, "Harry's" |
Region of origin | England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Harries, Harriss, Harrys, Harys, Herries, Herrice, Heriz, Ó'hEarchadha |
Frequency and comparisons:[1] |
Spellings (in alphabetical order) and their origins
- Haris - common in Bosnia, mythological Greek Χαρις (Kharis), which means "Grace" [2] or an origin of the Arabic name Haris, which means "Lion" or "Guardian".
- Harish - (Indian) quite a common first name and is a combination of Hari and Ishwar and means Vishnu God or Lord.
- Harries - common in West Wales
- Harris - most common spelling originated in East Wales, most of England and some of Scotland
- Harriss - originated in pockets of England, namely West Berkshire, West Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire & Northamptonshire
- Harrys - uncommon
- Harys - rare
- Heriz - medieval spelling of the name, first found in France and also found in Spain
- Herrice - a French spelling
- Herries - a Scottish spelling
- Ó'hEarchadha - a Irish spelling coming from County Mayo , Harris is an anglicized form
Origin
Often, the Harris surname appears to be a patronymic surname of British origin, representing 'son of Harry'. It was commonly adopted as a surname in south western England, the Midlands, Essex and Wales. As with other similar names it was adopted by most families in England between 1300 and 1400, and later in Wales and Scotland. Very few families used the name prior to 1300.
However, the paternal name 'Harris' also does have, in some cases, noble lineages. For instance, the Harris family descended from Viscount of Nottingham Ivo Fitz Heriz (c. 1130), can trace their family origins to de Beaumont family, as well as Wigerus Beaugencey, who himself was a distant descendent of the Flavian Dynasty and the Visigoths.[3]
Some other Harris families originated in Germany, France, Ireland etc., and adopted the name Harris upon immigration to Britain or America.
Migration
Irish Harris families probably originate from England, Wales and Scotland and arrived in Ireland during the plantation of Ulster c.1609. In some cases, particularly in families coming from County Mayo in Connacht, Harris can be an anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó'hEarchadha meaning noble warrior
Harrises also began to emigrate to Canada and America in the 17th century, to Australia and New Zealand in the 18th century and to South Africa in the 19th century. Initial numbers of emigrants were small and it was not until the last half of the 19th century that large numbers of Harrises emigrated from Britain.
Distribution
England
In 2014 [1] statistics for different spellings of Harris were:-
- Harris rank = 23 approximate number = 89,698
- Harries rank = 1,270 approximate number = 4,604
- Harriss rank = 1,929 approximate number = 990
- Herries rank = 2,071 approximate number = 226
United States
In 2000 Harris ranked twenty-fourth in the United States Census, down from fifteenth in the 1990 Census.[4][5]
References
- "Harris Surname Map". forebears.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
- "Haris". Greek-names.info. 2012-05-15. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
- "Who was Seigneur Wigerius De Beaugency, I - WikiTree G2G". www.wikitree.com. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
- "U.S. Census Bureau". Census.gov. Archived from the original on 2007-11-19. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
- United States Census Bureau (9 May 1995). s:1990 Census Name Files dist.all.last (1-100). Retrieved on 2008-07-04.