Norris as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Norris

What is the meaning of the name Norris ?

The baby name Norris is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈnɔːrɪs/ (NOR-ris).

Norris is English in Origin.

Norris is an English surname-turned-given name with Anglo-Norman roots. It comes from Middle English Norreis/Norreys, from Old French noreis/norois, literally “northerner” or “Norseman,” a label applied in medieval England to people from the North or of Scandinavian stock. Some families carry a less common, parallel derivation from Middle English norice (‘nurse, foster parent’), but the “northerner” sense predominates.

As a first name it gained currency in Britain and the United States in the 19th century, peaking in the early-to-mid 20th century before declining. The name remains familiar through figures such as novelist Frank Norris and actor and martial artist Chuck Norris; it has seen occasional unisex use, e.g., author Norris Church Mailer. Variant spellings and related forms include Noris, Norriss, Norreys, and Norrish; diminutives Norrie and Norry appear in Scotland and northern England. Meaning-based interpretations emphasize steadfast, hardy “man from the North.”