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Origin / History of the Harris Name

This ancient surname is English, Scottish and Irish, and is recorded in many spellings including: Harry; Harrie; Harrhy; Harris; Harries; and Harriss.  However the name is spelt, all derive from the 11^th Century personal name Harry, itself a nickname form of Henry.  ‘Henry’, which originates from the pre-7^th Century Frankish name ‘Henn- ric’, meaning ‘home-rule’, was first introduced into Britain at the Norman Conquest of England, in 1066, and is recorded in the Domesday Book, in the year 1086.  Over the next four centuries the name in all its spellings became very popular in England, although in Scotland the usual spelling is Harrison.  The eight English kings called officially Henry, were all referred to as Hal or Harry.  Early examples of the ‘Harry’ surname recordings taken from authentic medieval charters, and showing the surname development, include Nicholas Herri, in the 1327 Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, and William Harrys, in the Eynsham Cartulary of Oxford, in the year 1406.  Later recordings include those of Walter Harris (1647-1732), a court physician to King Charles 11, and later William and Queen Mary.  The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of John Harry, which was dated 1273, in the ‘Hundred Rolls’ of the county of Buckinghamshire

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