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Harney History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Harney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Harney family

The surname Harney was first found in Hampshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Winton, held by Waleran Hunter of the Venables family in Normandy who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early Lancashire records show Robert Herneys as holding lands there in the 13th century and later, Phelipot Herneys was found in Bedfordshire in 1337. 2

Early History of the Harney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harney research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1068, 1100, 1327, 1510, 1535 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Harney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harney Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Ernies, Erneys, Ernes, Hernes, Hernies, Ernyes, Hernis, Herneys, Ernest, Earnest, Harneys, Harney, Herneys and many more.

Early Notables of the Harney family

More information is included under the topic Early Harney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harney Ranking

In the United States, the name Harney is the 5,308^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Harney migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Harney or a variant listed above:

Harney Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Rkhard Harney, aged 38, who landed in Virginia in 1635 4

Harney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Harney, who settled in Maryland in 1772
Thomas Harney, who arrived in America in 1798 4

Harney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Rebecca Harney, aged 48, who landed in Massachusetts in 1812 4
Michael Harney, who settled in Boston in 1823
Mathew, James, John, Thomas Harney, all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1840
Col. Harney, aged 40, who arrived in Key West, Fla in 1840 4
William Harney, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1840 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Harney Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Harney, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749

Harney Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Harney from Waterford City, Ireland was married in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1814 5
Richard Harney, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1814
Michael Harney, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1823
John Harney, who settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland in 1824
Elizabeth Harney, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1826
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harney migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Harney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Annie Harney (Harvey), (b. 1837), aged 28, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indian Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd July 1865 6
Job Harney, aged 37, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1875
Emma Harney, aged 25, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1875
Caroline Harney, aged 16, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1875
Emily Harney, aged 9, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avalanche" in 1875
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Harney (post 1700) +

Michael Harney, American Screen Actors Guild Award winning actor, known for his work in Erin Brockovich (2000), Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Captivity (2007)
Corinna Harney (b. 1972), American model and actress, known for Rat Race (2001), Vegas Vacation (1997) and Playboy: Jenny McCarthy, the Playboy Years (1997)
John Hopkins Harney (1806-1868), American politician and legislator from Kentucky
William Selby Harney (1800-1889), American general, Revolutionary war patriot, eponym of Fort Harney, Oregon
Susan Harney (b. 1946), American actress
Paul Harney (b. 1929), American PGA professional golfer
John Milton Harney (1789-1825), American poet
George Edward Harney (1840-1924), American architect
Ben Harney, American actor and dancer, active in his career 1972 to 1985
Benjamin Robertson "Ben" Harney (1872-1938), American songwriter, entertainer, and pioneer of ragtime music
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html