HARMS

Origin and etymology In historic texts In the 1881 census Distribution map

Harms

Origin and Meaning

Harms is a surname of English and Dutch origin. In England, it is believed to have originated from the Middle English word "harm," meaning injury or mischief. The surname could have been used to denote someone who caused harm or to refer to a victim of harm. In Dutch, the surname could be derived from the given name Harm, which is a shortened form of Herman.

Distribution and Frequency

The Harms surname is relatively uncommon in the United Kingdom, with most bearers found in the northern regions of England, particularly Yorkshire. It is more prevalent in countries such as the Netherlands and Germany, where variants like Harmssen and Harmsen are also common.

Notable Individuals

Albrecht Harms: A German biologist known for his research on plant genetics.
Alice Harms: A British artist renowned for her surrealist paintings.
William Harms: A British author known for his works of historical fiction.

Trivia

The surname Harms may also have Jewish origins in some cases, particularly among Ashkenazi Jews who adopted the name as a Westernised version of their original surname.

There are approximately 412 people named Harms in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around six in a million people in Britain are named Harms.

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Typical given names associated with the surname

Male

Andrew
Christopher
Colin
David
Glen
James
Martin
Michael
Nicholas
Paul
Peter
Simon
Steven

Female

Angela
Caroline
Elizabeth
Jane
Karen
Kathleen
Rebecca
Sally
Sarah
Sharon
Stacey
Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.