NameCensus.

UK surname

Harries

A Welsh surname derived from the personal name "Harry", meaning "army ruler" or "home ruler".

In the 1881 census there were 5,647 people recorded with the Harries surname, ranking it #784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,497, ranked #1,222, down from #784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Llandilofawr, Llandyfeysaint and Llangafelach. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harries is 6,073 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.7%.

1881 census count

5,647

Ranked #784

Modern count

5,497

2016, ranked #1,222

Peak year

1911

6,073 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harries had 5,647 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,497 in 2016, ranked #1,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,073 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Harries surname distribution map

The map shows where the Harries surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Harries surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harries over time

The 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 4,159 #687
1861 historical 4,893 #577
1881 historical 5,647 #784
1891 historical 6,063 #765
1901 historical 5,665 #986
1911 historical 6,073 #850
1997 modern 5,324 #1,224
1998 modern 5,545 #1,224
1999 modern 5,608 #1,220
2000 modern 5,618 #1,214
2001 modern 5,445 #1,220
2002 modern 5,538 #1,227
2003 modern 5,429 #1,224
2004 modern 5,441 #1,218
2005 modern 5,451 #1,184
2006 modern 5,377 #1,209
2007 modern 5,362 #1,221
2008 modern 5,397 #1,220
2009 modern 5,466 #1,240
2010 modern 5,564 #1,246
2011 modern 5,517 #1,238
2012 modern 5,485 #1,218
2013 modern 5,568 #1,222
2014 modern 5,585 #1,221
2015 modern 5,519 #1,221
2016 modern 5,497 #1,222

Geography

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Where Harries' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Llandilofawr, Llandyfeysaint, Llangafelach, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Llandilofawr, Llandyfeysaint Carmarthenshire
3 Llangafelach Glamorganshire
4 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
5 Aberdare Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
2 Pembrokeshire 003 Pembrokeshire
3 Pembrokeshire 004 Pembrokeshire
4 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
5 Carmarthenshire 019 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harries

These lists show first names that appear often with the Harries surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harries

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Harries, 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

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Harries surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Harries household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Harries is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harries is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harries falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harries is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Harries, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Harries

The surname Harries is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the personal name Harry, itself a pet form of the name Henry. The name Henry is from the Germanic name Haimirich, composed of the elements heim "home" and ric "power, ruler". It emerged in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The surname Harries is found in records from the late 12th century, with one of the earliest known bearers being William Harries, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census of sorts taken during the reign of King Edward I, there are entries for a Hugo Harries in Oxfordshire and a Willelmus Harries in Huntingdonshire. These early spellings of the name include variants such as Haryes, Harye, and Harryes.

The name Harries is also found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript recording landholders in England and parts of Wales after the Norman Conquest. While the Domesday Book does not directly list individuals with the surname Harries, it contains entries for places that may have given rise to the surname, such as Harridge in Somerset.

Notable bearers of the surname Harries throughout history include Sir John Harries (c. 1542-1609), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Radnorshire in 1597. Another was William Harries (1744-1821), a Welsh clergyman and author of several works on Welsh history and literature.

In the literary world, there was Ethel Harries (1879-1962), an English novelist and short story writer known for works such as "The Unlit Lamp" and "The Forbidden Way". Additionally, John Harries (1785-1839) was a Welsh Anglican priest and author of several theological works.

A more recent figure was Sir John Harries (1910-1997), a British civil servant who served as the Comptroller and Auditor General of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1983.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harries families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harries surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Pembrokeshire leads with 1,756 Harries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 100.54x.

County Total Index
Pembrokeshire 1,756 100.54x
Carmarthenshire 1,361 58.76x
Glamorgan 1,174 12.27x
Monmouthshire 264 6.64x
Middlesex 127 0.23x
Cardiganshire 112 8.35x
Shropshire 108 2.27x
Brecknockshire 57 5.19x
Staffordshire 53 0.29x
Kent 42 0.22x
Hampshire 38 0.34x
Lancashire 36 0.06x
Yorkshire 35 0.06x
Surrey 30 0.11x
Cornwall 29 0.47x
Cheshire 28 0.23x
Devon 27 0.24x
Gloucestershire 26 0.24x
Worcestershire 26 0.36x
Somerset 25 0.28x
Essex 24 0.22x
Warwickshire 24 0.17x
Caernarfonshire 22 0.99x
Montgomeryshire 20 1.59x
Herefordshire 15 0.67x
Leicestershire 14 0.23x
Suffolk 14 0.21x
Denbighshire 13 0.63x
Derbyshire 12 0.14x
Lanarkshire 12 0.07x
Berkshire 11 0.27x
Wiltshire 11 0.23x
Sussex 9 0.10x
Dorset 8 0.22x
Merionethshire 8 0.80x
Hertfordshire 7 0.18x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 0.88x
Anglesey 6 0.62x
Ayrshire 5 0.12x
Flintshire 5 0.34x
Midlothian 5 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.07x
Lincolnshire 4 0.05x
Rutland 4 0.99x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.06x
Durham 2 0.01x
Isle of Man 2 0.20x
Norfolk 2 0.02x
Royal Navy 2 0.31x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.08x
Northumberland 1 0.01x
Radnorshire 1 0.23x
Selkirkshire 1 0.20x
Westmorland 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanelly in Carmarthenshire leads with 242 Harries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.39x.

Place Total Index
Llanelly 242 46.39x
Clase 143 40.19x
Ystradyfodwg 138 16.44x
Aberdare 131 19.94x
Llanstadwell 114 199.72x
Carmarthen St Peter 106 53.54x
Bedwellty 97 13.83x
Dinas 83 561.19x
Fishguard 82 216.64x
Llandilo Fawr 78 75.54x
Gelligaer 76 34.77x
Pembroke St Mary 76 33.79x
Tenby St Mary In 62 69.73x
Llandingat 58 110.18x
Swansea Higher 58 58.19x
Llanguick 57 33.25x
Neath 53 27.22x
Kidwelly 52 109.94x
Swansea Town 51 6.50x
Llanarthney 50 143.10x
Llangathen 48 293.58x
Merthyr Tydfil 48 5.22x
Steynton 44 77.93x
Loughor 41 80.69x
Pembrey 40 37.55x
Haverfordwest St Thomas 39 111.59x
Llandebie 39 58.05x
Mydrim 39 228.87x
Bettws 36 109.09x
Mathry 35 232.87x
Prendergast 35 131.09x
Haverfordwest St Martin 34 105.07x
Monckton 34 109.01x
Nevern 34 137.21x
Treleachar Bettws 34 135.78x
Llanwnda 33 174.70x
Llanddarog 32 193.24x
St Issells 31 83.94x
Lampeter Velfrey 29 157.44x
St Davids 29 73.36x
Brawdy 28 295.98x
Briton Ferry 28 24.52x
Llanfairarybryn 28 115.89x
Llangadock 28 43.85x
Abergwilly 27 70.98x
Burton 27 153.67x
Llanegwad 27 87.58x
Llanrian 27 174.19x
Spittal 27 350.19x
Trevethin 27 7.20x
Upper Machen 26 95.45x
Camrose 25 149.79x
Castlebythe 25 677.51x
Conwil Cayo 25 67.08x
Islington London 25 0.47x
Llangendeirne 25 58.21x
Haverfordwest St Mary 24 95.62x
Llandissilio 24 124.81x
St Pancras London 24 0.54x
Llanrhidian Higher 22 36.20x
St Dogmells 22 47.40x
Mywyddyslwyn 21 219.21x
Slebech 21 307.47x
Cilycwm 20 97.51x
Llangunnor 20 97.18x
Myddfai 20 171.97x
Whitchurch 20 127.15x
Ambleston 19 204.08x
Freystrop 19 264.99x
Llanfynydd 19 99.11x
Llansawel 19 105.97x
Bedwas 18 62.50x
Llangennech 18 48.52x
Llanwonno 18 5.24x
Rhyndwyclydach 18 27.11x
Shrewsbury St Chad 18 10.80x
Cardiff St John 17 5.44x
Letterston 17 220.49x
Llandeloy 17 428.21x
Portsea 17 0.77x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Harries surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 545
Elizabeth 290
Sarah 204
Margaret 199
Anne 136
Ann 132
Jane 131
Martha 126
Hannah 65
Eliza 45
Catherine 44
Rachel 44
Esther 37
Annie 35
Ellen 35
Maria 34
Alice 29
Eleanor 29
Edith 26
Emma 25
Emily 24
Harriet 23
Louisa 20
Charlotte 19
Margret 19
Frances 18
Phebe 18
Caroline 15
Elizth. 13
Ruth 13
Anna 12
Rose 12
Sophia 12
Agnes 11
Rebecca 11
Ada 10
Dinah 10
Fanny 9
Florence 9
Jennet 9
Lettice 9
Margaretta 9
Margt. 9
Amy 8
Bridget 8
Clara 8
Gertrude 8
Lucy 8
Gwenllian 7
Phoebe 7

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Harries surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 432
William 374
Thomas 305
David 242
James 168
Henry 101
George 90
Evan 53
Benjamin 45
Daniel 45
Joseph 45
Edward 40
Charles 38
Richard 31
Alfred 28
Samuel 23
Arthur 20
Morgan 20
Robert 18
Rees 17
Albert 16
Frederick 16
Stephen 15
Owen 14
Edwin 13
Isaac 13
Hugh 12
Joshua 12
Lewis 12
Howell 11
Griffith 10
Jacob 10
Wm. 10
Harry 9
Herbert 9
Thos. 9
Walter 9
Ernest 8
Phillip 8
Francis 7
Frank 6
Tom 6
Essex 5
Levi 5
Peter 5
Ebenezer 4
Hopkin 4
Ivor 4
Jno. 4
Jonathan 4

FAQ

Harries surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harries surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,647 people were recorded with the Harries surname. That placed it at #784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harries surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,497 in 2016. That gives Harries a modern rank of #1,222.

What does the Harries surname mean?

A Welsh surname derived from the personal name "Harry", meaning "army ruler" or "home ruler".

What does the Harries map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Harries bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

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.