21,782 Global Harry Family Members

Harry Family History

The Harris, Harries, Harriss, Haris, Herries, Harrison and Harry surnames all have the same origins, and derive from the personal name 'Harry' which is a diminutive of Henry which was introduced to Britain after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Other origins of this surname include the Old Norse, Harri, as well as the Flemish personal name, Hariche. In Ireland, there are some examples, particularly in relation to County Mayo families, where both Harris and Harrison may be anglicised forms of the Gaelic Ó hEarchadha.

As a surname it is patronymic, meaning the son or a descendant of a man named Harry. The addition of an 's' or 'son' to the end of the name formed the related surnames of Harris, Harries and Harrison. In England, hereditary surnames such as Harris, Harries and Harry had been established by around 1400, but in Wales they only became evident between the 16th and 19th centuries.

In Wales, although 'Harries' and 'Harris' are the most popular versions of this surname, in some parts of south Wales, in particular in the county of Glamorgan, 'Harry' (without the 's' ending) was adopted as a surname when it became hereditary between the 16th and 19th centuries. Originally, it would have been written as 'ap Harry' or 'ap Harri', meaning 'the son of Harry'. While some families dropped the 'ap' prefix when adopting the hereditary surname of Harry, others contracted the phrase to 'Parry' – this was a particularly popular trend in north Wales.

Notable people

• George Owen Harry (c.1553–1614), rector, genealogist and antiquary, born in Glamorganshire.
• Debbie Harry (b. 1945),  American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie.

 

SOURCES

1881, 1891 Census

Dictioinary of Welsh Biography, National Library of Wales, https://biography.wales/

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain, H.B. Guppy, London 1890

International Genealogical Index, https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/igi

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, P.Hanks, Coats, McClure OUP 2016

1860 Lower, Mark A Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom, London: J.R Smith. Public Domain

1857 Arthur, William An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain