Harris (surname)

Last updated
Harris
Pronunciation /ˈhærɪs/ .
Origin
Region of origin Wales
England [1]
Other names
Variant form(s) Harries, [1] Herries, Harrison, [2] Harry, [1] Parry [3]

Harris is a Welsh patronymic surname derived from the personal name Harry (a vernacular form of Henry ) and the genitive ending -s. The name also arose in England and Ireland.

Contents

Etymology

In Wales, Harris and Harries are common Welsh patronyms, from the personal name Harri. [4] Harris also emerged as a English patronym, as Harry became a hypocorism of the new Middle English name Henry. [1] The Welsh surname may have become popular in Ireland following the Cambro-Norman invasion of Ireland, [5] Harris may also occur as an Anglicization of the Irish name Ó hEarchadha. [1] The Irish name may also be influenced by the Plantation of Ulster. [6]

British and Irish names may also derive from the Old Norse Harri, Dutch Harries and Flemish Hariche. [2]

Distribution

United Kingdom

Harris is most common in South Wales and was the 22nd most common name throughout Wales in 2020. [7] For the latest available census data from 2010, the UK government did not generate a list of surname frequencies. [8]

United States

For the latest available census data from 2010, Harris ranked as the 25th most common surname in the US with 624,252 entries. Harrison ranked as the 141st most common surname in the US with 181,091 entries. [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hanks, Patrick, ed. (2013). Dictionary of American Family Names. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. p. 134.
  2. 1 2 Barber, Henry (1894). "Alphabetical list of British Surnames". British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning, with Lists of Scandinavian, Frisian, Anglo-Saxon and Norman Names. Elliot Stock, London. p. 139. Refer also to country and source abbreviations on page 15
  3. ↑ Hanks, Patrick, ed. (2013). Dictionary of American Family Names. Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. p. 53.
  4. ↑ Windsor, Kieren. "A (Brief) History of Welsh Surnames". The Wales Guidebook. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  5. ↑ Morgan, Rhys (2014). The Welsh and the Shaping of Early Modern Ireland, 1558-1641 (Volume 11). Boydell Press. pp. 163–166.
  6. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Lenarčič, Simon; McClure, Peter, eds. (2022). "Harris". Dictionary of American Family Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780190245122.
  7. ↑ Cooper, John (21 March 2020). "The 50 most common Welsh surnames and how many of you have them" . Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  8. ↑ "Surname usage frequency". Office of National Statistics. 2019.
  9. ↑ "Frequently Occurring Surnames from the 2010 Census". U.S. Census Bureau. 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2021. (refer to the provided documents)
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