This unusual and interesting surname, recorded in the spellings of Aris, Ariss and Aries, is usually medieval occupational and locational in origin, and dates from the time of the Flemish Weavers, circa 13th Century. The name means either a person who worked in a fashion of the "Arras" cloth, as in the quotation "one bede Coveringe of Aries" (1562), or someone who was a former inhabitant of Arras in France, or Arras in Yorkshire; the latter being a particularly popular source of the name. The word "arras" is derived from the Norse-Viking "arom", and translates as "the dairy settlement".
Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary; while locational surnames were developed when former inhabitants of a place moved to another area, usually to seek work, and were best identified by the name of their birthplace. The name development since 1202 (see below) includes: John Aras (1421, the Friary Rolls of Yorkshire), and Robert de Arras (1273, London). One of the earliest settlers in the American Colonies was John Aris, aged 19 yrs., who embarked for Virginia in May 1635 on the ship "Plaine Joan" of London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Simon de Araz, which was dated 1202, in the "Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1316. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname aris is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation. We can try to trace the genealogy of the surname aris, and in addition to the original locations of aris, we can find out where people with the surname aris can currently be found. Adhering to what we know about the way surnames originated, it is possible to offer a realistic explanation of the origins of aris.
The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname aris provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations. The mobility of people carrying the surname aris has led to its presence in different countries, as you can verify.
For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname aris, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of aris developed. The history, heraldry, coats of arms, and possible nobility of the surname aris are scattered in documents across various regions and historical periods, so it is necessary to reconstruct a complex puzzle to approach the facts from a realistic perspective. In the following lines, you will find everything we have been able to gather about the surname aris.
We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about aris and send it to us, we will update it on this website. Please note that if you are in a position to provide more data about the surname aris or any other surname and its origin, we would appreciate your collaboration with us by sending us information about the origin of aris.
Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname aris were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. A surname like aris can connect a person to an illustrious lineage and a distinguished coat of arms. However, it must be kept in mind that it is individual people who, through their lives and actions, bring fame and recognition to their surnames. If you or someone you know bears the surname aris, you could potentially build illustrious lineages through your efforts and virtues.
The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of aris are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation. We consider it highly advisable to refer to the following sources if you wish to conduct research on the surname aris, as well as many other surnames. Accessing the archives of the town or towns where your ancestors were born and lived is, of course, a good way to trace the origins of aris.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of aris, and at the same time, of surnames in general.