The distinguished surname Harmon can be traced back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The notable Harmon family is descended from the fierce Saxon and Angle tribes, who migrate to England in the 5th century, and pushed The ancient Britons to The frontiers of the island. Originally, the Anglo-Saxon people were each known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is an extremely interesting one. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages, under the feudal system of government, and often reflected life on the manor and in the field. At this time, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identity themselves. Frequently, they adopted patronymic surnames, which were derived from given names. During the Middle Ages, the patronymic system of name-making was adopted because it perfectly complemented the prevailing feudal system. Moreover, during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. Harmon is a patronymic surname that came from Herman or Hermannus. The names are really the same: it was a common practice for scribes to record a given name in The Latin style, where us is the masculine suffix. The personal name meant warrior. The name is derived from the Old French word hermant, or from the Old German words hariman or heremen, all of which meant uwarrior.1 This name came to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest in 1066, where William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon nobility and killed King Harold to take the throne of England. After the war, there was a wave of immigration into England from continental Europe, especially from France and Germany. The English language lacked definite spelling rules for most of its history, and consequently. Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Changes in the spellings of Anglo-Saxon names often reflected the evolving nature of the English language. During the mid- 11th century, the Old English tongue spoken by the Anglo-Saxons gave way to Middle English, which incorporated elements of the Norman French language spoken by the conquerors of England. The introduction of the printing press by William Caxton in 1477 and the publication of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary in 1755 led to the standardization of modem English. In the meantime, even literate people varied the spelling of their own names. For example, the famous playwright William Shakespeare variously spelled his surname Shakespere", 'Shakespear', "Shakspere," and "Shaxspere." Similarly, the name has been spelled Harnome, Harmen, Harmant, Harmind, Harmane, Harmand, Harnoombe, Harmend, Hamoomb, Hamombe, Harnolm, Hamume, Hamone, Harnown, Hamomb, Hamoom, Harmynd, Harmint, Harmyn, Harghan and many more. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of his surname in the ancient chronicles. During the Dark Ages, which was the period after the fall of the Roman Empire. there was a decline in education and the majority of people were illiterate, including even emperors like the Frankish king Charlemagne. In medieval England, men of the church were the sole guardians of the written word and important documents were preserved within the sturdy walls of the ancient monasteries Monks translated and revised classical texts and they compiled surveys for the purpose of recording births, deaths, marriages and land purchases. As a result of the frequency of court intrigue and the battles fought between feudal lords and barons, it became necessary to register the people and wealth of the land. The findings were subsequently recorded in various ancient manuscripts such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, the lnquisitlo, the Ragman Rolls, the Domesday Book, baptismal records, parish records, cartularies, and tax records. The history of the Anglo-Saxon surname Harmon appeared in a significant number of these records and the earliest origins of the distinguished family were found in Norfolk, where Hermannus dapifer was recorded sometime between 1101 and 1125. Alexander fihius Hermanni was listed in 1191, in Surrey the inclusion of fi/ms (which means 'son or') is a strong indication of this name's patronymic origin. Willelmus Hermannus was listed in Norfolk in the same town as Hermannus dapifer he appeared in records there from the 1 140s. Robert Hereman was listed in Norfolk in 1196. William Heremond was recorded in Sussex in the Subsidy Rolls, a tax record compiled in 1296. John Harrnan was listed in Suffolk in 1327. John Harmon was one of the first immigrants to the United States in the 17th century. The 1984 edition of the Report of Distribution of Surnames in the Social Security lists the surname Harman as the 2,062nd most popular surname in the United States. The same Report lists Harmon as the 380th most popular surname in the United States In this case, try Clara Harmon Bradshaw Her American Ancestors and Her Descendants by Mary Frances Bradshaw Dittrich Throughout the Middle Ages the Harmon family and the English nation managed to flourish despite plagues, famine, and the harsh realities of life at this time. However, during the modem era, England was devastated by religious and political conflict. Under the Tudors the problems of succession, strife between Catholics and Protestants, and the fear of foreign invasion had mainly been resolved. Later, under the House of Stuart, there were conflicts between the king and Parliament, and between Catholics and Protestants. The Stuarts came to power at a time when the middle class was becoming increasingly powerful and willing to assert its rights through Parliament. The Stuarts were ousted from power first by Cromwell and then by the "Glorious Revolution' which resulted in the long series of Jacobite uprisings. As a result of the chaos and upheaval at home, numerous English families voluntarily or involuntarily left England and migrated to Ireland, Canada, the United States, Australia and the other colonies held by the British crown. In Ireland, Protestant settlers and those who fought for or supported Cromwell were granted lands which had been confiscated from the Catholic Irish. While some of the confiscated lands were returned during the reign of King Chides II, most remained in the hands of newcomers. Other English families migrated to Ireland in search of work in the newly created Irish industries. The open spaces and untamed frontiers of North America attracted many migrants in search of adventure and property. Numerous English families migrated to the New World on the armada of sailing ships which were romantically known as the White Sails, but were often referred to as coffin ships. As a result of the harsh conditions on the overcrowded ships, the majority of the immigrants arrived in the New World diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. After risking the perilous journey across the oceans to the newly discovered lands in North America, the English settlers realized that the New World was not the paradise they had expected. Early attempts to establish a colony at Roanoke Island in North Carolina met with disaster. In 1591, supply ships found the colony deserted and the fate of the settlers remained a mystery forever. The great flux of English migration to Canada occurred after the Seven Years War, when Canada was ceded to the British.