Harness Family History
Harness Name Meaning
English (Lincolnshire): of Norman origin from the Middle English and Old French personal name Erneis Herneis (ancient Germanic Arn(e)gis possibly from arn- ‘eagle’ + the base-form of gisl- ‘pledge hostage’). Compare Ernest . English (Lincolnshire): occasionally possibly also a nickname from Middle English Old French harneis ‘harness equipment gear tackle (especially body armor and horse trappings)’ used to denote a maker of harnesses or other equipment or someone who wore a distinctive suit of armor. Norwegian: old variant of Harnes (and in North America probably also an altered form of this) a habitational name from the farm name Harnes from an unattested word for ‘rock stony soil’ + nes ‘promontory headland’.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022