English
Harris
Harris comes from Old French Henri, and goes back to Latin Henrīcus.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEHenrīcus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400Henri
- Englishearliest quotation 2012Harris
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEHenrīcus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400Henri
- Englishearliest quotation 2012Harris
Earliest quotation: 2012, Laura Smith-Spark, Are mass killings on the increase? Criminologist says no: “In 1999 at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado,…”
Formed from Harry + -s ‘patronymic suffix’
Proto-Indo-European *ker- ‘army’
…
Proto-Germanic *harjōną ‘to overrun with an army’
Proto-West Germanic *harjōn ‘to overrun with an army’
Old English herġian ‘to pillage’
Middle English herien ‘to ruin’
English Harry
Every English word from Latin Henrīcus
Another origin of Harris
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱey-‘to be lying down’uncertain
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hīwą‘marriage’uncertain
- Old Norsec. 800–1350hérað‘hundred’uncertain
- EnglishtodayHarris
Perhaps from Old Norse hérað (‘hundred (administrative district)’), or from Old Norse hærri (‘higher’), referring to the high hills on the island, especially compared to Lewis.
Today it means
name An English and Welsh surname originating as a patronymic.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin Henrīcus / Harris