The following information is based primarily on research by John Tevebaugh and may be found in its entirety on the Hardy County, WVA web site.

The names of 18th century German immigrants has been very confusing to family historians over the years. The male head of German families of that era often had as many as four names. The first, quite often Johann, was a name given at christening, and usually was dropped by the individual before becoming an adult. The fourth, or final surname usually identified the individual by occupation in order to help separate him from other males in the same community with similar given and surnames.

According to researcher Tevebaugh, the fourth name of the patriarch of the family featured on this web site (Joachim Ernst Kraft Horner) was likely inherited from his father, who may have been a button or comb maker. Both professions at that time in history utilized animal horns to produce their resulting product.

Joachim Ernst Kraft Horner used several surnames (and combinations of surnames) over the years. When he arrived in New York in 1710 as an emigrant he was “Johann Michael Ernst Hoerner.” In 1733, in Tulpehocken, PA, he was sometimes known as “Michael Ernst Kraft-Hoerner.” When his daughter was baptized in the South Branch Valley of VA in 1743, he was again “Johann Michael Ernst Hoerner.” He was referred to in several documents in Pennsylvania in 1725, 1727 and 1732 as simply “Michael Ernst.” He went by that name when Moravian missionaries visited him in 1749. He also idenfied himself as “Michael Ernst” in his 1779 will. With a few exceptions, all of his children were identified by the surname “Harness.”

So, how did Ernst become Harness?

The closest name to Ernst in English was probably Ernest (or Earnest). Those surnames appear often on documents with Michael’s given name after he arrived in the South Branch of the Potomoc river in the Northern Neck of Virginia, according to researcher Tevebaugh.

The Americanization of the name “Ernst” may have started as early as the day Michael and the rest of his family were first processed upon their arrival in America. It may have been the result of clerks fashioning a new English sounding surname from what they thought their ears heard. After all, New York was a British colony at the time, and the mother English language was spoken (and written) at that time in America.

The British often drop the initial “H” from their spoken words, but they include it when writing. A final “t” often is not orally voiced very distinctly and the English ear would certainly not be expecting to hear it combined with the harsh German ”st” sound. As a result, the written name of Ernst probably evolved rather easily over the years in New York, Pennsylvania and later in the South Branch of Virginia, from Ernst, then to Earnst, to Earness, to Herness and finally to Harness.

Other Harness families in colonial America

There were other families in colonial America with the surname Harness. Some, from Germany, Americanized the name Harnish to become Harness. Earlier Harness arrivals in America (perhaps as early as 1649), were British, and one of these, William Henry Harness, established two plantations near what is present day Annapolis, Maryland..

As near as can be determined, none of these Harness’ were related to the the Harness family featured on this web site.