The surname HARRINGTON is locative  in origin which is to say derived from a place so named, one of which lies in the county of Cumberland.

Once everyone was known by a single name but this led to confusion and so an extra name was adopted. Thus, a man named John who hailed from Harrington might be known as “John (of) Harrington”, the additional name eventually becoming hereditary as a surname.

Early records mention Recardus de Heryngton in the Poll Tax returns of the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1379.

William Harrington who died in 1523 was a noted divine. James Harrington (1664-1694) was a lawyer & poet who published many pamphlets.

Among early emigrants from England to America was – Edward Harrington who is recorded in Virginia in 1643. Mark Waldrod Harrington (1848-1926) was an eminent American astronomer.

The arms illustrated may be described heraldically as: Sable, a fret argent; Crest: a lion’s head or tongued and collared gules buckled or; and for Motto: “Nodo firmo”. Writers of the past have attributed symbolism to the tinctures and charges of heraldry-thus, argent (silver), is said to denote Sincerity; and sable (black), Wisdom. The fret has been termed the heraldic true lover’s knot. The motto may be translated as “Within the firm knot “.