This is one of the famous old surnames of Scotland, although the origin is almost certainly not Celtic or Gaelic, but Norman-French. In the 12th century there was a recruiting drive by the king of Scotland who needed an instant army to keep internal order. Who better to recruit from but the descendants of the famous Norman Army which conquered England in 1066. Many of these people were granted lands in England, but there was never enough to go around, and later generations of younger sons found it necessary to earn their crust with their sword. In the this case it is claimed that Heris or Herries is a form of the Norman surname Heriz, a family who held lands in Nottinghamshire, England granted to them in 1066. If so the first recorded nameholder is probably William de Heriz, who served King David of Scotland (1124 - 1153), and seems to have been granted lands by him in Dumfries and Galloway, where the name is still associated in the 20th century. The link spelling is probably that of Richard Hereis who held lands in Edinburgh, granted to him by King Robert 1st, (1274 - 1329), whilst David Heris was the bailie of Finlay Ramsay in Bamffshire in 1483.

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