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Origins of the Harris surname

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What does the name Harris mean?

The origin of the surname Harris is British and Irish. It's the 23rd most common name in England, and the 21st most common in the United States of America. The surname Harris denotes a 'son of Harry/Henry', and originated mostly in the 1300s. In Ireland (particularly in county Mayo), Harris can be an English form of the Gaelic 'OhEarchadha', but most often originates from the plantation of Ulster and the arrival of settlers from the British mainland.

Alternative variations of the name Harris

Harris, Harries, Haris, Haries, Harrys

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Where do most Harrises live?

In 1921, most Harrises lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Harrises

How common is your surname?

25th most common surname in the UK

We have 802,000 records for the Harris surname. The oldest one dates back to 1318.

Who were Harrises most likely to marry?

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Harrises.

What are the most common Harris first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Harris family members

Common jobs for Harrises

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Harrises in 1921
Dressmaker

3,708

Laundress

2,495

Domestic Servant

2,069

General Servant Domestic

1,924

General Servant

1,507

Common Male occupations for Harrises in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

3,730

General Labourer

3,188

Coal Miner

2,819

Carpenter

2,522

Tailor

2,136

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 760,000 family trees with the Harris surname

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