History of your Surname
Get access to Harris family records.Start a free trial

Harris Family History

Harris Name Meaning

English and Welsh (very common in southern England and South Wales): patronymic from the medieval English personal name Harry, pet form of Henry. This name is also well established in Ireland, taken there principally during the Plantation of Ulster. In some cases, particularly in families coming from County Mayo, both Harris and Harrison can be Anglicized forms of Gaelic Ó hEarchadha. Greek: reduced form of the Greek personal name Kharalambos, composed of the elements khara ‘joy’ + lambein ‘to shine’. Jewish: Americanized form of any of various like-sounding Jewish names.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Harry, Farris, Sarris, Gabris, Parrish, Hargis, Harts, Martis, Ferris

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

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 the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 3,535 Harris families living in Ontario. This was about 49% of all the recorded Harris's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Harris families in 1911.
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.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Harris ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Harris. 28% of Harris men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Harris women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Harris were Carpenter and Clerk.

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 1921

  • Farmer
    28%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Income
    9%
  • Clerk
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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.

Discover More

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

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Harris family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial