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

Harriston, 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 Harriston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harriston in America

Harriston is the 57101st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harriston surname appeared 357 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Harriston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harriston 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 Harriston

The surname HARRISTON has its origins in England, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from a place name, possibly a combination of the Old English words "hærra" meaning "from the army" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have originated from a settlement or village established by soldiers or members of an army.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HARRISTON can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a William Harriston was baptized in 1591. Another early mention is in the Hertfordshire Visitation of 1634, which includes a reference to a John Harriston, a landowner in the county.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing a Thomas Harriston born in Lincolnshire in 1642 and a Robert Harriston who served as a parish clerk in Gloucestershire in the late 1600s. During this period, variations in spelling were common, with the name sometimes appearing as Harriston, Harryston, or Hariston.

Notable individuals bearing the surname HARRISTON throughout history include:

1. Sir William Harriston (1718-1792), a prominent English merchant and member of the East India Company, who amassed a significant fortune through his trading ventures in the Indian subcontinent.

2. Mary Harriston (1826-1901), a British philanthropist and social reformer, known for her work in establishing schools and orphanages in the East End of London.

3. James Harriston (1845-1916), a Scottish explorer and naturalist, who led several expeditions to the Amazon rainforest and contributed significantly to the study of its flora and fauna.

4. Emily Harriston (1879-1952), an English novelist and poet, whose works often explored themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships.

5. Robert Harriston (1901-1978), an American architect renowned for his innovative designs, including several iconic skyscrapers in New York City and Chicago.

While the surname HARRISTON is relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, each contributing to the rich tapestry of history and culture in their respective fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harriston

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

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 Harriston 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 Harriston 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 Harriston was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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