NameCensus.

UK surname

Harrisson

An English surname derived from the personal name "Harry", a pet form of Henry meaning "home ruler".

In the 1881 census there were 480 people recorded with the Harrisson surname, ranking it #6,976 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 225, ranked #18,105, down from #6,976 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Witchling, Otterden, Lenham, London parishes and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Kesteven, Medway and East Hampshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harrisson is 653 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 53.1%.

1881 census count

480

Ranked #6,976

Modern count

225

2016, ranked #18,105

Peak year

1851

653 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harrisson had 480 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,976 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 225 in 2016, ranked #18,105.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 653 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Harrisson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Harrisson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harrisson 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 653 #3,979
1861 historical 583 #4,526
1881 historical 480 #6,976
1891 historical 326 #10,405
1901 historical 335 #10,782
1911 historical 277 #12,067
1997 modern 220 #16,607
1998 modern 224 #16,888
1999 modern 236 #16,404
2000 modern 246 #15,914
2001 modern 253 #15,403
2002 modern 256 #15,565
2003 modern 234 #16,343
2004 modern 231 #16,591
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 237 #16,334
2007 modern 233 #16,752
2008 modern 235 #16,777
2009 modern 235 #17,151
2010 modern 236 #17,427
2011 modern 235 #17,328
2012 modern 220 #18,034
2013 modern 228 #17,864
2014 modern 220 #18,471
2015 modern 216 #18,600
2016 modern 225 #18,105

Geography

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Where Harrissons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Witchling, Otterden, Lenham, London parishes, St Marylebone, Droitwich St Andrew and St Mary, Droitwich St Nicholas, Dodderhill (Dodderhill in Liberties), Malbor and Bulkington,Wolvey, Burton Hastings (Burbage, Leicestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Kesteven, Medway, East Hampshire, Mendip and Wiltshire. 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 Witchling, Otterden, Lenham Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
4 Droitwich St Andrew and St Mary, Droitwich St Nicholas, Dodderhill (Dodderhill in Liberties), Malbor Worcestershire
5 Bulkington,Wolvey, Burton Hastings (Burbage, Leicestershire) Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Kesteven 015 South Kesteven
2 Medway 004 Medway
3 East Hampshire 010 East Hampshire
4 Mendip 010 Mendip
5 Wiltshire 050 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harrisson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harrisson

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Harrisson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Harrisson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Harrisson is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harrisson is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harrisson 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 Harrisson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Harrisson

The surname Harrisson is of English origin, derived from the given name Harry, a medieval diminutive of Henry, which ultimately comes from the Germanic name Haimirich, meaning "home ruler." The double "r" spelling is believed to have emerged in the 13th century as a way to distinguish the surname from other similar names.

The earliest recorded instances of the Harrisson surname date back to the late 12th century in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. It is believed to have originated as a patronymic name, meaning "son of Harry," and was often used to distinguish families or individuals within a community.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be early variants of the Harrisson name, such as Herri and Hericius, although the spelling had not yet been standardized.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Harrisson surname was Sir John Harrisson, a Member of Parliament for Lancashire in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Christopher Harrisson, who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1591-1592.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Harrisson surname became more widespread throughout England, and several branches of the family established themselves in various regions. One prominent example is the Harrisons of Yorkshire, a family with roots dating back to the 15th century. Thomas Harrison (1616-1660) was a notable member of this family, serving as a leader in the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the Harrisson surname continued to gain prominence, with individuals such as John Harrisson (1693-1768), a English clergyman and author, and William Harrisson (1685-1713), an influential English architect.

As the British Empire expanded, the Harrisson surname spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where families with the name established themselves as early settlers and contributors to the development of these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harrisson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harrisson 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. Worcestershire leads with 95 Harrissons recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.67x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 95 15.67x
Kent 67 4.23x
Warwickshire 54 4.61x
Middlesex 36 0.78x
Essex 29 3.16x
Hampshire 27 2.84x
Yorkshire 24 0.52x
Staffordshire 19 1.21x
Nottinghamshire 17 2.72x
Cheshire 16 1.56x
Flintshire 13 10.42x
Surrey 13 0.57x
Lancashire 12 0.22x
Wiltshire 10 2.44x
Durham 8 0.58x
Derbyshire 6 0.83x
Lincolnshire 6 0.81x
Dorset 5 1.64x
Northumberland 5 0.72x
Gloucestershire 4 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.68x
Norfolk 2 0.28x
Somerset 2 0.27x
Sussex 2 0.26x
Monmouthshire 1 0.30x
Suffolk 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Droitwich St Nicholas in Worcestershire leads with 50 Harrissons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2222.22x.

Place Total Index
Droitwich St Nicholas 50 2222.22x
Bulkington 26 1027.67x
Dodderhill In Liberties 21 2500.00x
Otterden 15 5769.23x
Breamore 14 1555.56x
Hawarden Pentrobin 13 653.27x
Bradford On Avon 10 76.05x
Aston 8 2.48x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 13.37x
Lenham 8 253.16x
Droitwich St Andrew 7 457.52x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 7.48x
Leamington 7 90.21x
South Stoneham 7 33.91x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 7.49x
Wolverhampton 7 5.81x
Cheadle 6 30.64x
Droitwich St Peter 6 441.18x
Earls Colne 6 237.15x
Snenton 6 24.40x
Steeple 6 714.29x
Tottenham 6 8.11x
Wellesbourne Mountford 6 535.71x
Bethnal Green London 5 2.48x
Birmingham 5 1.28x
Bromsgrove 5 24.50x
Camberwell 5 1.69x
Egerton 5 362.32x
Enfield 5 16.41x
Greenwich 5 6.76x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 12.12x
Rixton With Glazebrook 5 357.14x
Rochester St Nicholas 5 101.42x
Rowley Regis 5 11.45x
Sandwich St Mary 5 347.22x
Sculcoates 5 6.85x
Shelf 5 113.90x
St George Hanover Square 5 6.11x
Stalisfield 5 925.93x
Sturton 5 595.24x
Sutton St Mary 5 71.23x
Wapping London 5 140.85x
Bishopstoke 4 163.93x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 4.67x
Felstead 4 127.39x
Marple 4 56.82x
St Marylebone London 4 1.61x
Tollesbury 4 173.91x
Ashford 3 19.44x
Belbroughton 3 95.24x
Birchanger 3 394.74x
Bollington In 3 32.89x
Caldy 3 1000.00x
Herne 3 42.80x
Lenton 3 20.35x
Paddington London 3 1.76x
Sherborne 3 33.41x
Shirland 3 55.15x
Upton On Severn 3 75.57x
West Bromwich 3 3.34x
Brislington 2 143.88x
Broadwater 2 11.14x
Bulwell 2 14.70x
Canterbury St Mildred 2 53.19x
Cheadle 2 26.56x
Dovercourt 2 62.11x
Doveridge 2 180.18x
Elythe College 2 1176.47x
Fareham 2 17.48x
Hapton 2 645.16x
Huddersfield 2 2.98x
Islington London 2 0.44x
Lewisham 2 2.37x
Liverpool 2 0.60x
Maidstone 2 4.24x
Maldon St Peter 2 42.83x
Sandwich St Peter 2 119.76x
Templenewsam 2 60.06x
Tollard Farnham 2 689.66x
St Woollos 1 2.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Elizabeth 22
Sarah 19
Alice 12
Jane 11
Margaret 11
Ellen 8
Edith 7
Emma 7
Ann 6
Annie 6
Eliza 6
Hannah 6
Emily 5
Maria 5
Caroline 4
Louisa 4
Martha 4
Anne 3
Charlotte 3
Priscilla 3
Rose 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Betsy 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Leah 2
Selina 2
Susannah 2
Betty 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth.Ellen 1
Ester 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Geraldine 1
Helen 1
Janle 1
Jemima 1
Jessey 1
Julia 1
Katey 1
Lille 1
Lucy 1
Marion 1
Sylvia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 38
John 29
George 18
Thomas 16
Henry 13
James 13
Alfred 9
Joseph 9
Charles 7
Edward 7
Frederick 6
Arthur 5
Robert 5
Walter 4
Benjamin 3
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Richard 3
Amos 2
B.J. 2
Fredric 2
Heratio 2
Nat. 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Edwd.E. 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Gerald 1
Gibbs 1
Handel 1
Hopley 1
Jas.A.G. 1
Jessie 1
March...e 1
Mark 1
Norman 1
Price 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Timothy 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Harrisson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harrisson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 480 people were recorded with the Harrisson surname. That placed it at #6,976 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harrisson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 225 in 2016. That gives Harrisson a modern rank of #18,105.

What does the Harrisson surname mean?

An English surname derived from the personal name "Harry", a pet form of Henry meaning "home ruler".

What does the Harrisson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Harrisson 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.