This research team is exploring the lives and times, ancestry and descendents of all early colonial American Harris families. English ancestors were quite influential, while American descendents have played prominent roles in colonial and revolutionary America. Various Harris families are among the earliest American colonists. Many Harris families migrated to the New World in search of wealth, following the dramatic success of the East India Company.

Based on research at the CrispinCousins group, we know that many Harris cousins are from a branch of the Harcourt family of Hericourt, France that were known variously as de Harcourt, de Hericourt, de Heriz and Heris, among other variations. Heris and Harris derive from Har/Her-hris, a composite of two Old Norse words. Har means "bristling" and Hris means "thorny hedge." Hericourt is most likely named in honor of Hedeby, Denmark, where Hawthorn bushes were planted atop tall, earthen ramparts (ditch plus bank) encircling Hedeby as an extra measure of defense.

The I1a Harris families descend from the ruling family of Hedeby that also controlled the region of Angle and Frisia among other locations. Closely related haplotype I1a1 families of common paternal origin with names that mean "thorny hedge" include Bruce (Anglo-Fr. bruce "brushwood"), Scruggs (Scottish), and Ross/ Roose/ Rose (ON. hris). Other close DNA cousins include Warren, Stone, Bailey, Beaumont, Montgomery, Frame Group B, Douglas and Hamilton Group B among many others. We might note that the current Duke Hamilton is a close genetic cousin of several Harris families, perhaps due to common descent from a Harcourt family that held a place named Hambledon in either Rutland (likely), Surry, Hampshire or Yorkshire.