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Harris Family History

Harris Surname Meaning

English (southern England and south Wales): from the personal name Harry + genitival -s. This surname is also established in Ireland, taken there principally during the Plantation of Ulster. However, in some cases, particularly in families coming from County Mayo, Harris can be an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hEarchadha.

This surname is also very common among African Americans. American shortened and altered forms of Greek surnames beginning with Cha(r)- such as Chasandrinos (variant of Kassandrinos, a habitational name from the Kassandra peninsula of Chalkidiki) and various patronymics from the personal name Charalampos (see Charos).

In North America, the surname Harris may possibly also originate from a transferred use of the Greek personal (given) name Charis or Harris (shortened forms of Charalampos) as a surname (i.e., as a replacement of the original surname).

It is an Americanized form of various like-sounding Jewish surnames.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Harris family from?

You can see how Harris families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Harris family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Harris families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 13,536 Harris families living in London. This was about 17% of all the recorded Harris's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Harris families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Harris surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Harris ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Harris. 6% of Harris men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Harris women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Harris were Incapacitated and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Harris | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    2%
  • Bricklayer
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    63%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Harris family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3 million census records available for the last name Harris. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Harris census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Harris

Passenger Lists

There are 386,000 immigration records available for the last name Harris. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Harris immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 565,000 military records available for the last name Harris. For the veterans among your Harris ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Harris military records

You've only scratched the surface of Harris family history

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What is the average Harris lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Harris life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Harris in 1940 was 40, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Harris

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Harris ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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