Harness Family History

Harness Surname 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

Similar surnames: Harkness, Barnes, Harnois, Garness, Harless, Haynes, Furness, Holness, Arness, Barsness

38K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
5K	Military Records
1K	Immigration Records
28K	Census and Voter Lists
131K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Harness family from?

You can see how Harness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Harness family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Harness families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 14 Harness families living in Ontario. This was about 54% of all the recorded Harness's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Harness families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Harness surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Harness

What did your Harness ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Harness. 43% of Harness men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Harness women worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Harness

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.

Farmer

43%

Barber

15%

Salesman

15%

Blacksmith

15%

Farmer

100%

What Harness family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 28K census records available for the last name Harness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Harness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Harness

Passenger List

There are 1K immigration records available for the last name Harness. 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 Harness immigration records

Military Records

There are 5K military records available for the last name Harness. For the veterans among your Harness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Harness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Harness family history

Discover More

What is the average Harness lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Harness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Harness in 1944 was 40, and 75 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Harness family tree

Explore Your Tree

Search for another surname

Harness Surname Meaning

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

Where is the Harness family from?

What did your Harness ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Harness. 43% of Harness men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Harness women worked as a Farmer.

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.

Farmer

43%

Barber

15%

Salesman

15%

Blacksmith

15%

Farmer

100%

What Harness family records will you find?

What is the average Harness lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Harness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Harness in 1944 was 40, and 75 in 2004.

Harness Family History

Harness Surname Meaning

204,000 record(s) for Harness

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Harness family from?

What did your Harness ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Harness family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Harness family history

What is the average Harness lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Harness family tree

Search for another surname

Harness Surname Meaning

204,000 record(s) for Harness

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Harness family from?

What did your Harness ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Harness family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Harness family history

What is the average Harness lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Harness family tree

Search for another surname