Harrington Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Harrington last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Harrington last name
Meaning of the Harrington last name: from Harrington in Cumbria. Harrington comes from places called Harrington in Cumbria, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, meaning the farm of a group of people. In Ireland it also became the English form of Gaelic names in Cork and Kerry, where it is now common. A curious detail: Sir John Harington, godson of Elizabeth I, designed an early flushing toilet for the queen and wrote a witty book about it.
Arms associated with the Harrington name
In medieval England colours carried meaning, with blue for loyalty and red for courage, and arms used by Harrington families draw on that language.
Get your full Harrington family history
This is only a glimpse of the Harrington story. The full Harrington history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Harrington coat of arms. Get the full Harrington report.
Harrington name FAQ
What does the Harrington name mean?
From Harrington in Cumbria. Common variants include Harington, Herrington, Harrigan.
Where does the Harrington surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Ireland and Australia.
Is there a Harrington coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Harrington coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.