English and Welsh (very common in southern England and South
Wales): patronymic from the medieval English personal name
Harry, pet form of Henry.
This name is also well
established in Ireland, taken there principally during the Plantation
of Ulster. In some cases, particularly in families coming from County
Mayo, both Harris and Harrison can be Anglicized forms
of Gaelic Ó hEarchadha.
Greek: reduced form of
the Greek personal name Kharalambos, composed of the elements
khara ‘joy’ + lambein ‘to shine’.
Jewish:
Americanized form of any of various like-sounding Jewish names.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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