Harring History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Harring

What does the name Harring mean?

The name Harring is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a person who made a living by catching or selling herring. Early examples of the surname Harring come from the Old French word hareng, while later examples come from the Old English word hering, which was originally derived from the Old English words hæring and hering; these words all mean herring.

However, one very reputable source claims origin of the name disagrees. "There can be no doubt about the parentage of our Herrings. It will be observed that the prefix 'le' is never found in these early records, suggesting that the surname is not (at least in the majority of cases) a nickname taken from the fish. They are generally found inland also." 1

And another reputable source agrees. "This name may be the same as Hering, from some locality compounded of ing, a meadow. Hornsey, Middlesex, from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century was called in public records Haringee, Haringhee, or Haringay, signifying the meadow of hares." 2

Early Origins of the Harring family

The surname Harring was first found in many counties throughout ancient Britain. By example, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed John Hareng, Bedfordshire; Alan Haring, Cambridgeshire; Nigel Haring, Canterbury; Robert Henn, Cambridgeshire; and Roger Hering, Oxfordshire and all holding lands at that time. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, "Adam Hereng' witnessed a charter by William the Lion to the Priory of Coldingham. Petronilla, daughter of Adam Harang of Meinichoch (Minnigaff), granted to the church of Melrose part of the lands of Bortwic in the parish of Roberton in the reign of Alexander II. An account of the domestic tragedy which nearly brought the family of Herring to ruin in 1371 is described in the Memorie of the Somervills, I, p. 118-121. The tragedy occurred at Gilmerton Grange near Edinbergh. Gilbert Heryng witnessed a charter of the Haigh of Scuny in Fife, 1395, and John Hering, dominus de Glasclune, was present at perambulation of the marches of Kirknes and Louchor in the same year. " 3

Early History of the Harring family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harring research. Another 197 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1190, 1372, 1450, 1453, 1457, 1479, 1483, 1491, 1508, 1574, 1582, 1585, 1589, 1599, 1628, 1644, 1693, 1704, 1747, 1750, 1757 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Harring History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harring Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Harring are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Harring include: Herring, Herrin, Hering and others.

Early Notables of the Harring family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Henry Herringman (1628-1704), a prominent London bookseller and publisher; he was the first publisher of the works of John Dryden; and Thomas Herring (1693-1757), Archbishop of Canterbury from 1747 to 1757.Francis Herring (d. 1628), was an English physician, a native of Nottinghamshire who was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1585, M.A. 1589). On 3 July 1599, being then a doctor of medicine of Cambridge of two...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harring Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harring migration to Canada +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Harring or a variant listed above:

Harring Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

David Harring, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1778

Harring migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Harring Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Harring, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Harring (post 1700) +

Roger Harring (1932-2021), American football player and coach who won 340 games over 42 seasons at both the high school and college levels, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005
Walter I. Harring, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Greene County, 1938 5

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html