Surname Harrihy - Meaning and Origin
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Harrihy: What does the surname Harrihy mean?
The surname Harrihy is an edible Norman-French name, derived from the Old French word "harri," which means "angler or furrier" and "hie," which means "son of." It is commonly found in England as a result of Norman conquest, and is largely located in the South West counties of England, such as Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.
The Harrihy family was likely descended from a Norman lord by the name of Harri, who settled in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. With the expansion of the family in England, over time the last name changed to Harrihy, retaining its roots in the Norman-French culture.
The Harrihy family has a deep history in the South West counties, and traces its journey to modern-day England and Europe, as some members of the family eventually moved abroad and settled in other countries.
The Harrihy name was used inclusively to identify members of the family, including in documents such as land grants, records of baptisms, weddings, and military records. It was also used to mark the tombstones of the deceased, which was common practice in the 1700s and 1800s.
Today, many families of the Harrihy surname can be found in numerous countries around the world, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and France.
Order DNA origin analysisHarrihy: Where does the name Harrihy come from?
The surname Harrihy is most commonly found in Ireland. This surname originally stems from the ancient Gaelic and Norman-French surnames O’h-Amhrachain and O’h-Aichide. Both of these surnames translate to son of Amhracain (harrihy) in Gaelic and aimhigh in Norman-French. This surname is commonly associated with the Irish province of Munster, particularly counties Cork, Kerry, and Limerick. It can also be found in parts of England, America, and Australia where the surname has made its way as a result of migration. In some places, the surname has been altered to different spellings, such as Harrahy, Harriey, and Harrhy, but they are all variations of the same name. The name Harrihy is still fairly common in Ireland and continues to appear in records of births, deaths, and marriages.
Variations of the surname Harrihy
Harrihy is a surname of Irish origin derived from the Gaelic name O'hAraithche, which means descendant of Araithche. Variants and spelling variations of the name include Haraihie, Haraichi, Haraiy, O'Haraihie, O'Haraici, and O'Haraighy.
In some cases, Harrihy may also be found as a shortened version of the given name Harold, usually honoring a paternal ancestor. Spelling variants could be Harle, Harrold, Herle, and Herrold. Variants of the surname are found in both Ireland and across the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the United States.
Surnames derived from the same origin typically include Hara, Harah, Harai, Haray, Harraher, Harhey, Harrhy, and O'Hara. Some of these variations may also be found in parts of Europe, such as Germany, where it is sometimes spelled with an initial capital letter, as Harrihe or Harrihie.
In some cases, the given name Hary, or its spelling variant, Harry, is believed to be the shortened version of Harrihy, which is the origin of many surnames, such as Harryman, Harrington, Harrison, and Haryson.
Although Harrihy is still primarily associated with Irish familial lineage, the adoption of the name by those of other nations has further diversified its spelling variations and resulting surnames. Ultimately, any combination of Harra, Hary, Herl, Herr, Harl, Arahy, or O'Hara would result in various spellings of the Harrihy surname.
Famous people with the name Harrihy
- Megan Harrihy: Actress known for roles on the television series Elementary in which she played Detective Violet Hayward and on the show Charmed in which she played the character Macy Vaughn.
- Stephen Harrihy: Actor who has made appearances in television series such as The Big Bang Theory, The Closer and NCIS.
- Tom Harrihy: Actor best known for roles on the television series The Unusuals in which he played Danny Longstreet and on 100 Questions with the role of Andrew Flynn.
- Dominic Harrihy: British actor who had a reoccurring role on the sitcom The Inbetweeners.
- John Harrihy: Irish filmmaker and artist who has directed the films Dead Bodies, Eva and The Siege.
- Caroline Harrihy: English actress who is known for roles in the television series The Borgias, Mr Selfridge and The Bill.
- Mark Harrihy: Irish musician and songwriter. He is the lead singer of the band The Minutes.
- Tim Harrihy: Musician and songwriter. He has been the frontman for the Irish indie rock band Someway Sunday since 2002.
- Matthew Harrihy: Australian tennis player who won his first tournament in 2009 and is currently ranked inside the top 500 in singles tennis.
- Emma Harrihy: South African actress who has featured in films such as Knuckle City, A Lucky Man, and The Unseen.