Contents [hide]

Harms History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Harms History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The name Harms thought to be of Norman heritage. It is a name for a person who was a good friend or beloved one. The name was originally derived from the Old French given name or nickname Amis or Ami, which means friend. Alternatively the name could have been derived from the "descendant of Amos (burden-bearer.)" 1

Early Origins of the Harms family

The surname Harms was first found in the county of Northumberland, where they were granted lands by King William after the Norman Conquest in 1066. They originated from Exmes, a town in the department of Orne, in Normandy. 2

"Amos, like Amias or Amyas, represents popular forms of the Norman-French Aimee, or Amys. " 3 Kirby's Quest had the first listing for the family: Thomas Amys, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 4

Another sources notes: "the present family of Amos, established in the Faversham district, [in Kent] probably can claim an ancestor in Thomas Amos, a well - to - do yeoman of Ospringe, who in 1769 bequeathed £100 for the poor of Molash." 5

Early History of the Harms family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harms research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1576, 1619, 1633, 1640, 1641, 1689, 1692, 1693, 1695, 1721, 1759, 1864 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Harms History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harms Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Ames, Amess, Amies, Amis, Amiss, Amos, Hames, Haymes, Eames, Emmes and many more.

Early Notables of the Harms family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Ames (Latin: Guilielmus Amesius) (1576-1633), an English Protestant divine, philosopher, and controversialist. Henry Metcalfe Ames, of Lynden Hall, Northumberland was High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1864. Joseph Ames (1619-1695), was an English naval commander from Norfolk who commanded several ships of war, and made repeated voyages to America and the West Indies...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harms Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harms Ranking

In the United States, the name Harms is the 2,454^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6 However, in Netherlands, the name Harms is ranked the 711^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,649 people with that name. 7

Harms migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Harms or a variant listed above were:

Harms Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Harms, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1637 8

Harms Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wilhelm Harms, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 8
Arnd Harms, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1808 8
Carsten Harms, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 8
Cath Harms, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 8
Cord Harms, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harms Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Hendrick Harms, who landed in Alabama in 1917 8

Harms migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Harms Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Gehrhard Harms, who arrived in Manitoba in 1874
Johan Harms, who landed in Manitoba in 1874
Peter Harms, who arrived in Manitoba in 1874
Wittwi Harms, who landed in Manitoba in 1875
Johan Harms, who arrived in Manitoba in 1876
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harms 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:

Harms Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Nicholas Harms, aged 26, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Edinburgh" in 1873
Catherine Harms, aged 28, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Edinburgh" in 1873
Henry Harms, aged 8 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Edinburgh" in 1873

Contemporary Notables of the name Harms (post 1700) +

Oliver Raymond Harms (1901-1980), American President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod from 1962 to 1969
Joni Harms (b. 1959), American country music singer-songwriter
Jesse Harms (b. 1953), American session keyboard player and songwriter
Alexander T. Harms (1855-1901), American businessman who co-founded Thomas B. Harms Music Publishing Company, brother of Thomas B. Harms
Thomas B. Harms (1860-1906), American businessman who co-founded Thomas B. Harms Music Publishing Company, a popular music publishing company in 1881
John N. Harms (b. 1940), American politician, Member of the Nebraska Legislature (2007-2015)
Ron Harms (b. 1936), former American football coach
Samuel D. Harms, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 2008 9
Fred H. Harms, American politician, Delegate to Iowa convention to ratify 21st amendment from Fayette County, 1933 9
Edward Clair Harms Jr. (1924-2005), American politician, Mayor of Springfield, Oregon, 1952-60 9
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Harms family +

Bismarck

Kurt Harms (1919-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 10

The Harms 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: Fama candida rosa dulcior
Motto Translation: Fame is sweeter than the white rose.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details