Harris Family History

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.