- Harris (name)
Harris is a (
patronymic or paternal) family name 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 1800s, has led to different branches of the same families having different spellings of the name.pellings (in alphabetical order) and their origins
*Haris - rare
*Harries - common in WestWales
*Harris - most common spelling originated in EastWales , most ofEngland and some ofScotland
*Harriss - originated in pockets ofEngland , namely WestBerkshire , WestOxfordshire ,Gloucestershire ,Warwickshire ,Worcestershire &Northamptonshire
*Harrys - uncommon
*Harys - rare
*Heriz -medieval spelling of the name, first found inFrance and also found inSpain
*Herrice - a French spelling
*Herries - a Scottish spellingMeaning
Harris means 'Son of Harry' or 'Harry's Son'. Harry is a pet form of
Henry . Henry is the anglicised version of Henri which was introduced into Britain by theNormans in1066 . 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.Origin
In most cases the Harris surname appears to be British in origin. It was commonly adopted as a surname in south western
England , theMidlands ,Essex andWales . As with other similar names it was adopted by most families inEngland between 1300 and 1400, and later inWales andScotland . Very few families used the name prior to 1300.Some other Harris families originated in
Germany ,France , etc., and adopted the name Harris uponimmigration 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 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 apatronymic fashion, i.e., they were the son of someone called Harry.DNA Projects
DNA
Surname project s exist for both Harris [ [http://www.harrisdna.org/ Harris Y-DNA Index Page ] ] and Harrison [ [http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/h/harrison/ The Harrison DNA Project | WorldFamilies.net ] ] . 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 [ [http://www.harrisdna.org/results.html Harris DNA Project results] ] 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 ofScotland , which correspond to areas settled by Danishvikings before theNorman conquest of1066 .Migration
Irish Harris families probably originate from
England ,Wales andScotland and arrived inIreland during the conquest of Ireland c.1603.Harrises also began to emigrate to
Canada and America in the 1600s, toAustralia andNew Zealand in the 1700s and toSouth Africa in the 1800s. Initial numbers of emigrants were small and it was not until the last half of the nineteenth century that large numbers of Harrises emigrated from Britain.Distribution
Great Britain
In 1998 [ [http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surname britishsurnames] ] 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 = 154The 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. [ [http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/freqnames2k.html U.S. Census Bureau] ] [
United States Census Bureau (9 May 1995). . Retrieved on 2008-07-04.]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 theRoyal College of Arms ,London , 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 Harriscoats of arms ; one or morehedgehogs are often incorporated into theblazon . The original reason for this has been lost in the mists of 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
hedgehog . Plays on words like this were used inheraldry .
* the original bearer had spiky hair, resembling a hedgehog.Notable People
*
Harries
*Harris
*Harriss
*Herries ee also
*
Harris Surname DNA Project References
External links
* [http://www.harrisdna.org/ - Harris DNA Project homepage] harrisdna.org
* [http://www.harrisdna.org/results.html - Harris DNA Project results] harrisdna.org
* [https://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.aspx?code=Q41837&special=False - Harris DNA Project joining page] familytreedna.com
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