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Harry Family History

Harry Name Meaning

English (mainly south Wales and southwestern England): from the medieval personal name Harry a common form of Henry with assimilation of -nr- to -rr- and regular Middle English change of -er- to -ar-. In south Wales the surname is generally a post-medieval coinage in most cases not hereditary until the 18th or 19th century. French: from the ancient Germanic personal name Hariric composed of the elements hari heri ‘army’ + rīc ‘power(ful)’. Native American (e.g. Navajo): adoption of the English personal name Harry (see 1 above) as a surname.

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


Similar surnames: Barry, Hardy, Hurry, Merry, Harty, Harr, Harke, Berry, Terry, Larry

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Harry family from?

You can see how Harry families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Harry family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Harry families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 195 Harry families living in Ontario. This was about 29% of all the recorded Harry's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Harry families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Harry 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 Harry ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Harry. 34% of Harry men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Harry women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Harry were Laborer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Harry | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    34%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Journalier
    8%
  • Laborer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    20%
  • Teacher
    20%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Housewife
    15%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Harry family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 135,000 census records available for the last name Harry. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Harry census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Harry

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Harry. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Harry immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 26,000 military records available for the last name Harry. For the veterans among your Harry ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Harry military records

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What is the average Harry lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Harry life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Harry in 1943 was 18, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Harry

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