Harris (name)
Encyclopedia
Harris is a family name
of British
origins, and has many different spellings, none of which are the definitive, or 'correct', spelling. These spellings are largely regional which, when combined with the fact that most families only learned to spell in the 19th century, has led to different branches of the same families having different spellings of the name. Harris is the 24th-most common surname in the United Kingdom.
. Harry was the regular pronunciation of Henry during the Middle Ages
, but is not often found in early documents as the Latin version of Henricus was used instead. Henry is the Anglicised version of Henri which was introduced into Britain
by the Normans
in 1066. Henri means "home ruler".
Early records suggest that the surnames Harrison
and Harris were used interchangeably by some families. It is likely that some modern Harrisons and Harrises are related.
in origin. 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.
Some other Harris families originated in Germany
, France
, etc., and adopted the name Harris upon immigration
to Britain
or America
. Jewish refugees are known to have adopted the name upon arrival in Britain. Ellis Island
is renowned for having Anglicised non-English names in America c1900.
Descendants of African slaves in the United States have also adopted the name. It is likely that some used, or were given, the name of their owners. Others may have adopted it in a patronymic
fashion, i.e., they were the son of someone called Harry.
s exist for both Harris and Harrison. These projects help reveal more about the roots of different Harris and Harrison families and identify family groups.
The majority of Harrises tested so far belong to R1b1
(Western European) or I1a (Scandinavia
n) Haplogroups. However, members have also been found who have E3
(African), J
(Middle Eastern/Mediterranean) and R1a
(Eastern European) Haplogroups.
R1b1
originates from all over Britain
, however, I1a tends to be first found in East Anglia
or the North-East of Scotland
, which correspond to areas settled by Danish
Vikings before the Norman conquest of 1066.
Harris families probably originate from England
, Wales
and Scotland
and arrived in Ireland
during the conquest of Ireland c.1603.
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.
The distribution of the name Harris can be found on http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/HARRIS/maps and the distribution of Harries is shown on http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/HARRIES/maps
, but very few were hereditary (passed on to successive generations).
As is often the case in heraldry
, a tradition has emerged in the design of different Harris coats of arms; one or more hedgehog
s are often incorporated into the blazon
. The original reason for this has been lost in time, but it is likely that it was originally due to one, or both, of the following explanations:-
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
origins, and has many different spellings, none of which are the definitive, or 'correct', spelling. These spellings are largely regional which, when combined with the fact that most families only learned to spell in the 19th century, has led to different branches of the same families having different spellings of the name. Harris is the 24th-most common surname in the United Kingdom.
Spellings (in alphabetical order) and their origins
- Haris - common in Bosnia, an origin of the Arabic Haris, which means "Keeper" or "Guardian".
- Harries - common in West WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
- Harris - most common spelling originated in East WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, most of EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and some of ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... - Harriss - originated in pockets of EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, namely West BerkshireBerkshireBerkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, West OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, GloucestershireGloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, WarwickshireWarwickshireWarwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, WorcestershireWorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
& NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,... - Harrys - uncommon
- Harys - rare
- Heriz - medieval spelling of the name, first found in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and also found in Spain - Herrice - a FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
spelling - Herries - a ScottishScots languageScots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
spelling - Parry - a contraction of the Welsh patrynomic "ap Harry"
Meaning
Harris means 'Son of Harry' or 'Harry's Son'. Harry is a pet form of HenryHenry (given name)
Henry is an English male given name and a surname, from the Old French Henry , derived itself from the Germanic name Haimric , which was derived from the word elements haim, meaning "home" and ric, meaning "power, ruler". Harry, its English short form, was considered the "spoken form" of Henry in...
. Harry was the regular pronunciation of Henry during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, but is not often found in early documents as the Latin version of Henricus was used instead. Henry is the Anglicised version of Henri which was introduced into Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
by the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in 1066. Henri means "home ruler".
Early records suggest that the surnames Harrison
Harrison (name)
Harrison is a common patronymic surname of English origin. It may also be spelled Harrisson, Harryson or Harrysson. Harrison means "son of Harry". Early records suggest that the surnames Harrison and Harris were used interchangeably by some families. It is likely that to this day there are some...
and Harris were used interchangeably by some families. It is likely that some modern Harrisons and Harrises are related.
Origin
In most cases the Harris surname appears to be BritishGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in origin. It was commonly adopted as a surname in south western England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. As with other similar names it was adopted by most families in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
between 1300 and 1400, and later in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Very few families used the name prior to 1300.
Some other Harris families originated in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, etc., and adopted the name Harris upon immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
or America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Jewish refugees are known to have adopted the name upon arrival in Britain. Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
is renowned for having Anglicised non-English names in America c1900.
Descendants of African slaves in the United States have also adopted the name. It is likely that some used, or were given, the name of their owners. Others may have adopted it in a patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
fashion, i.e., they were the son of someone called Harry.
DNA projects
DNA Surname projectSurname project
A surname DNA project is a genetic genealogy project which uses genealogical DNA tests to trace male lineage.Because surnames are passed down from father to son in many cultures, and Y-chromosomes are passed from father to son with a predictable rate of mutation, people with the same surname can...
s exist for both Harris and Harrison. These projects help reveal more about the roots of different Harris and Harrison families and identify family groups.
The majority of Harrises tested so far belong to R1b1
Haplogroup R1b (Y-DNA)
The point of origin of R1b is thought to lie in Eurasia, most likely in Western Asia. T. Karafet et al. estimated the age of R1, the parent of R1b, as 18,500 years before present....
(Western European) or I1a (Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n) Haplogroups. However, members have also been found who have E3
Haplogroup E (Y-DNA)
In human genetics, Haplogroup E is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. Haplogroup E is one of the two main branches of the older Haplogroup DE, the other main branch being haplogroup D. The E clade is divided into two subclades: E1 and E2 .-Origins:Underhill et al. proposed that haplogroup E...
(African), J
Haplogroup J (Y-DNA)
In human genetics, Haplogroup J is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. It is one of the major male lines of all living men...
(Middle Eastern/Mediterranean) and R1a
Haplogroup R1a (Y-DNA)
Haplogroup R1a is the phylogenetic name of a major clade of Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroups. In other words, it is a way of grouping a significant part of all modern men according to a shared male-line ancestor. It is common in many parts of Eurasia and is frequently discussed in human...
(Eastern European) Haplogroups.
R1b1
Haplogroup R1b (Y-DNA)
The point of origin of R1b is thought to lie in Eurasia, most likely in Western Asia. T. Karafet et al. estimated the age of R1, the parent of R1b, as 18,500 years before present....
originates from all over Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, however, I1a tends to be first found in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
or the North-East of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, which correspond to areas settled by Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Vikings before the Norman conquest of 1066.
Migration
IrishIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Harris families probably originate from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and arrived in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during the conquest of Ireland c.1603.
Harrises also began to emigrate to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 17th century, to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in the 18th century and to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
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.
Great Britain
In 1998 statistics for different spellings of Harris were:-- Harris rank = 22 number on electoral roll = 103962
- Harries rank = 1232 number on electoral roll = 4977
- Harriss rank = 7040 number on electoral roll = 679
- Herries rank = 19822 number on electoral roll = 154
The distribution of the name Harris can be found on http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/HARRIS/maps and the distribution of Harries is shown on http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/HARRIES/maps
United States
In 2000 Harris ranked twenty-fourth in the United States Census, down from fifteenth in the 1990 Census.Coats of arms
Very few Harrises have any association with, or the right to bear, coats of arms. Throughout the ages various Harrises have been awarded arms by the Royal College of Arms, LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but very few were hereditary (passed on to successive generations).
As is often the case in heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
, a tradition has emerged in the design of different Harris coats of arms; one or more hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
s are often incorporated into the blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
. The original reason for this has been lost in time, but it is likely that it was originally due to one, or both, of the following explanations:-
- the French name Herrice sounds similar to herison, which is French for hedgehogHedgehogA hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
. Plays on words like this are fairly common in heraldryHeraldryHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
. - the original bearer had spiky hair, resembling a hedgehog.
External links
- - Harris DNA Project homepage harrisdna.org
- - Harris DNA Project results harrisdna.org
- - Harris DNA Project joining page familytreedna.com