Find out how popular the last name Harrison is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Harrison.

Harrison, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Harrison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harrison in America

Harrison is the 141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harrison surname appeared 181,091 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 61 people would have the surname Harrison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harrison to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Harrison

The surname Harrison is an English patronymic name derived from the given name Harry, which is a medieval diminutive form of Henry. The name Harry itself is derived from the Old French name Henri, which comes from the Old German name Heimrich, meaning "home-ruler."

The earliest recorded instance of the Harrison surname dates back to the late 12th century. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Roger Haresun, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195. The name was also found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk in 1275, where it was spelled as Harysone.

During the Middle Ages, the Harrison surname was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. The name was also found in various forms, such as Harrysone, Harryson, and Hareson, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

One notable historical figure with the Harrison surname was John Harrison (1693-1776), an English clockmaker who revolutionized navigation by inventing the marine chronometer, a device that enabled accurate measurement of longitude at sea. His invention played a crucial role in the expansion of maritime trade and exploration.

Another prominent figure was William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), the ninth President of the United States. He was a distinguished military officer and politician, serving as the first governor of the Indiana Territory and later becoming the President in 1841, though his term was tragically cut short after just 32 days due to illness.

In the literary world, Jane Austen's famous novel "Sense and Sensibility" featured a character named Colonel Brandon, whose full name was Christopher Brandon Harrison. The novel was published in 1811 and provided a glimpse into the social dynamics of the Georgian era in England.

Another notable Harrison was Frederic Harrison (1831-1923), an English philosopher, jurist, and writer. He was a leading figure in the positivist movement and authored several influential works, including "The Choice of Books" and "The Meaning of History."

Lastly, the Harrison surname has been associated with several notable musicians, including the late George Harrison (1943-2001), the lead guitarist and songwriter for the legendary rock band The Beatles. His contributions to the band's music and the cultural landscape of the 1960s cannot be overstated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harrison

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Harrison.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Harrison was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Harrison has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Harrison was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Harrison, please contact us.

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