embrisa.
embrisa.
Theme
Masculine

Harrison

/ˈhɛr.ɪ.sən/

Son of Harry

Old English

How to say it

HAR · ri · son

/ˈhɛr.ɪ.sən/

What it means

English surname meaning 'son of Harry' (Harry being a medieval short for Henry). Two US presidents (William Henry and Benjamin Harrison) and George Harrison the Beatle anchor the surname.

Harrison is an English surname meaning 'son of Harry' (Harry as the medieval short for Henry). The surname has presidential lineage in the US: William Henry Harrison (9th president, served one month) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (23rd president). George Harrison gave the surname rock-and-roll anchor as the quiet Beatle. Harrison Ford gave it Hollywood currency through Indiana Jones and Han Solo. As a first name Harrison emerged in earnest in the late 20th century with the broader masculine surname-first wave. It's been in the US top 200 since 2003. Harry is the standard short (also given as a standalone, complicating the pattern).

Popularity over time

#10 #100 #1 #97118802025

peaked at #52 in 1888, currently #116 in 2025.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving

Heads-up notes

  • Nickname

    Harry is the standard short. Some families use Harrison formally and Harry daily; others give Harry directly. Worth deciding at birth.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

  • George Harrison The Beatles' lead guitarist (Harrison as surname)
  • Harrison Ford American actor, Han Solo and Indiana Jones
  • William Henry Harrison 9th US president, served one month before dying of pneumonia in 1841

Spelling variants

  • Harris
  • Harrison