| ![Show Contents]() Hartness History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The chronicles of the Hartness family show that the name was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for a person who lived in Dumfries. Some believe that the surname Hartness is derived from the Old English words here, which means army, and næss, which means headland or cape. 1 Another source claims that name to be "(English or Scandinavian) Dweller at the Temple-Headland [Old English h(e)arg = Old Norse hörg-r, a (heathen) temple + Old English næss = Old Norse nes, a headland]" 2 Early Origins of the Hartness familyThe surname Hartness was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area. "Up to the end of the sixteenth century the notices of this name connect it with Annandale and subsequently with Nithsdale. In the churchyard of Dalgarnock, near Thornhill, are several tombstones of persons of this name, who were mostly tenants of the farms of Locherben and Mitchellslacks in the parish of Close-bum, and Holestane in that of Durrisdeer. James Harkness of Locherben was leader of the band of Covenanters who rescued some Covenanters from the royal troops in the Pass of Enterkin while being convoyed to Edinburgh for trial, 1684. Thomas Harkness, brother of James, was subsequently executed in the Grassmarket of Edinburgh in 1685 for having taken part in the affair." 3 Early History of the Hartness familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hartness research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1685, 1809, 1816, 1818, 1820, 1833, 1834, 1843, 1848, 1853, 1854, 1856, 1874, 1878, 1888, 1890 and 1940 are included under the topic Early Hartness History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hartness Spelling VariationsThe origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Hartness has been spelled Harkness, Harkniss, Harckness, Hackness, Herkness and many more. Early Notables of the Hartness familyNotable amongst the family at this time was Robert Harkness (1816-1878), geologist, born at Ormskirk, Lancashire, on 28 July 1816, was educated at Dumfries and at Edinburgh University (1833-1834). He resided at Ormskirk, pursuing scientific studies, until 1848, when he removed with his father to Dumfries. His first paper was read before the Manchester Geological Society in April 1843, on 'The Climate of the Coal Epoch.' His papers on the geology and fossils of south-western Scotland brought him into...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hartness Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hartness RankingIn the United States, the name Hartness is the 15,809th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4  Migration of the Hartness family to Ireland
Some of the Hartness family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Hartness migration to the United States | + |
The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:
Hartness Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- William Hartness, aged 28, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1805 5
- George Hartness, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 5
- Johanna Hartness, aged 26, who landed in New York in 1854 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Hartness (post 1700) | + |
- Major-General Harlan Nelson Hartness (1898-1986), American Commanding General 4th Division (1950-1953) 6
- James Hartness (1861-1934), American inventor, mechanical engineer and entrepreneur as well as Governor of Vermont from 1921 to 1923
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- "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)
- Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 9) Harlan Hartness. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Hartness/Harlan_Nelson/USA.html
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Hartness migration to the United States 
Scotland
Ireland
England
