UK surname
An English surname derived from the given name "Harry" or "Henry".
In the 1881 census there were 195 people recorded with the Harison surname, ranking it #13,054 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 59, ranked #34,401, down from #13,054 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Jarrow and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harison is 1,107 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 69.7%.
1881 census count
195
Ranked #13,054
Modern count
59
2016, ranked #34,401
Peak year
1861
1,107 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Harison surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Harison surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 483 | #5,157 |
| 1861 | historical | 1,107 | #2,531 |
| 1881 | historical | 195 | #13,054 |
| 1891 | historical | 524 | #7,145 |
| 1901 | historical | 125 | #20,061 |
| 1911 | historical | 124 | #20,023 |
| 1997 | modern | 80 | #29,554 |
| 1998 | modern | 53 | #32,633 |
| 1999 | modern | 41 | #33,866 |
| 2000 | modern | 42 | #33,791 |
| 2001 | modern | 41 | #33,753 |
| 2002 | modern | 40 | #34,133 |
| 2003 | modern | 36 | #34,522 |
| 2004 | modern | 42 | #34,222 |
| 2005 | modern | 48 | #33,932 |
| 2006 | modern | 53 | #33,854 |
| 2007 | modern | 55 | #33,965 |
| 2008 | modern | 58 | #33,918 |
| 2009 | modern | 66 | #33,538 |
| 2010 | modern | 72 | #33,324 |
| 2011 | modern | 66 | #33,768 |
| 2012 | modern | 65 | #33,964 |
| 2013 | modern | 56 | #34,581 |
| 2014 | modern | 60 | #34,400 |
| 2015 | modern | 57 | #34,519 |
| 2016 | modern | 59 | #34,401 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Jarrow, Manchester, Seaford and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Leonard Shoreditch | London (East Districts) |
| 2 | Jarrow | Durham |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Seaford | Sussex |
| 5 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Harison surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Harison, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Harison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Harison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Harison is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harison is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Harison, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname HARISON has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Harry, which was a diminutive form of Henry. The suffix "-son" was commonly added to such names to denote "son of," creating a patronymic surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HARISON surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is written as "Harison." This early record suggests that the name was already well-established by the 13th century in parts of southern England.
The HARISON name can be traced back to various place names in England, particularly those derived from words like "hare" (referring to the animal) or "har" (an old English word meaning "boundary"). This connection to place names is evident in historical records such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, which mentions a "William Harison of Halsted."
Notable individuals with the HARISON surname include John Harison, a 16th-century English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Llandaff from 1539 to 1548. Another prominent figure was Richard Harison, a 17th-century English mathematician and inventor who contributed to the development of early calculating machines.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook the influence of Thomas Harison, a 17th-century English poet and translator known for his works such as "The Ark ofStudious Admittance" (1633) and translations of Virgil's Aeneid.
The 18th century saw the rise of John Harison, a British artist renowned for his landscape paintings and illustrations, many of which captured the beauty of the English countryside. His works were highly sought after during his lifetime and are now preserved in various art collections around the world.
Moving into the 19th century, we find William Harison, a British explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in South America. His expeditions to the Amazon basin in the 1840s and 1850s led to the discovery of numerous new species of plants and animals.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the HARISON surname throughout history, demonstrating its deep roots and enduring legacy across various fields and disciplines.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harison surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 54 Harisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.89x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 54 | 2.89x |
| Durham | 21 | 3.75x |
| Middlesex | 14 | 0.74x |
| Lancashire | 13 | 0.58x |
| Warwickshire | 12 | 2.53x |
| Essex | 10 | 2.69x |
| Hampshire | 10 | 2.59x |
| Staffordshire | 9 | 1.42x |
| Northamptonshire | 7 | 3.95x |
| Derbyshire | 6 | 2.04x |
| Northumberland | 4 | 1.43x |
| Angus | 3 | 1.72x |
| Cheshire | 3 | 0.72x |
| Dorset | 3 | 2.43x |
| Kent | 3 | 0.47x |
| Norfolk | 3 | 1.04x |
| Nottinghamshire | 3 | 1.18x |
| Cumberland | 2 | 1.23x |
| Gloucestershire | 2 | 0.54x |
| Lanarkshire | 2 | 0.33x |
| Surrey | 2 | 0.22x |
| Berkshire | 1 | 0.71x |
| Buckinghamshire | 1 | 0.88x |
| Devon | 1 | 0.26x |
| Lincolnshire | 1 | 0.33x |
| Orkney | 1 | 4.83x |
| Stirlingshire | 1 | 1.44x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.32x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rawmarsh in Yorkshire leads with 9 Harisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 136.57x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Harison surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 10 |
| Elizabeth | 9 |
| Sarah | 8 |
| Eliza | 7 |
| Ellen | 5 |
| Ann | 4 |
| Kate | 4 |
| Annie | 3 |
| Caroline | 3 |
| Emma | 3 |
| Margaret | 3 |
| Alice | 2 |
| Jane | 2 |
| Louisa | 2 |
| Margretta | 2 |
| Ada | 1 |
| Anne | 1 |
| Blanch | 1 |
| Camilla | 1 |
| Clara | 1 |
| Dorothy | 1 |
| Edith | 1 |
| Emily | 1 |
| George | 1 |
| Hephzebah | 1 |
| Hilda | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 |
| Je | 1 |
| Laura | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Margret | 1 |
| Margt. | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Marian | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| May | 1 |
| Polly | 1 |
| Racheal | 1 |
| Rebecca | 1 |
| Rhoda | 1 |
| Risiah | 1 |
| Roberta | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Harison surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| John | 12 |
| William | 11 |
| George | 7 |
| Joseph | 7 |
| Henry | 4 |
| James | 4 |
| Wm. | 4 |
| Alfred | 3 |
| Charles | 3 |
| Edward | 3 |
| Ernest | 3 |
| Robert | 3 |
| Thomas | 3 |
| David | 2 |
| Horatio | 2 |
| Walter | 2 |
| Albert | 1 |
| Allen | 1 |
| Arthur | 1 |
| Ben | 1 |
| Benjamin | 1 |
| Fred | 1 |
| Frederick | 1 |
| Gilbert | 1 |
| Joe | 1 |
| Mathew | 1 |
| Peter | 1 |
| Phillip | 1 |
| Reginald | 1 |
| Richard | 1 |
| Samuel | 1 |
| Sandy | 1 |
| Thoms. | 1 |
| Tom | 1 |
| Wiliam | 1 |
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Harison households.
FAQ
In 1881, 195 people were recorded with the Harison surname. That placed it at #13,054 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 59 in 2016. That gives Harison a modern rank of #34,401.
An English surname derived from the given name "Harry" or "Henry".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Harison bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.