Haris History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England-Alt
England
Ireland

The name Haris is an ancient name that was given to a person in Britain soon after the arrival of the Normans in the 1066. It is a name for a person who was a person who was the son of the ruler of the property upon which he lived. Initially, le Herisse, the name came to England with the Norman Conquest, and is of Old French derivation. Another derivation, which is probably more common shows that the name is a version of the Old English given name Harry. 1 Although both derivations are valid time has confused them and historians now disagree on which is appropriate in a given situation.

Early Origins of the Haris family

The surname Haris was first found in Normandy, where Hericius and his brothers were in 1022 prohibited by King Robert of France from making inroads of on the estates of a neighbouring abbey. "Henricus was father of Ancelin de Beaumont who in 1086 held a barony in Nottinghamshire. Ivo Fitz-Herice or De Heriz, his son was Viscount of Nottinghamshire before 1130." 2

His sons quickly spread through Britain as seen by Robert Fitz-Herice who was mentioned in a charter of Barberie Abbey, executed by Henry II; Josceline Fitz-Herice mentioned in Huntingdonshire in 1156; and William who held two fees in Nottinghamshire and four in Lincolnshire in 1165. Humphrey Hairez was listed in Berkshire in 1158.

William Herez held an estate in Wiltshire in the 13th century and later one of his descendants held estates in Salisbury in 1469 and was ancestor of the Earls of Malmsbury who also have three herrisons on their arms. 2

"Harris and Heris are armorially identified, each bearing three herissons (hedgehogs) in allusion to the name." 2

"Wootton Hall [in Wooton, Northamptonshire], the seat of W. Harris, Esq., stands elevated, and commands extensive prospects: the grounds are surrounded with thriving plantations." 3

"Radford, in Plymstock, [Devon] has been a seat of the Harris family for nearly 500 years. Here Ralegh is said to have been kept in ward on his return in 1618, and here at times Drake stored much of his treasure. " 4

Early History of the Haris family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haris research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1080, 1399, 1483, 1581, 1588, 1596, 1600, 1628, 1631, 1644, 1649, 1650, 1658, 1661, 1666, 1671, 1677, 1680, 1685, 1686, 1719, 1775 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Haris History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haris Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Harris, Harries, Harrys, Harryss, Haries, Haris, Hairis and many more.

Early Notables of the Haris family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John ap Harry of Poston in Vowchurch, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1399; Robert Harris (1581-1658), an English clergyman, known as a Puritan preacher, member of the Westminster Assembly, and President of Trinity College, Oxford; John Harris (Harrys) (c.1588-1658), an English academic and clergyman, Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford, long-time Warden of Winchester College, and a member of the Westminster Assembly; Peter Harris (the elder) (died 1680), a British buccaneer, one of the captains...
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Haris Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haris Ranking

In the United States, the name Haris is the 12,612^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Haris family to Ireland

Some of the Haris family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haris migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Haris or a variant listed above:

Haris Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Haris, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 6
John Haris, who landed in Maryland in 1677 6

Haris Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Manuel Haris, aged 32, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1831 6

The Haris Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ubique patriam reminisci
Motto Translation: Everywhere to remember one's country.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)