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Irish surname

Garry: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mag Fhearadhaigh · 'son of Fearadhach' (manly)

Woulfe (1923) gives Garry as one of many anglicised forms of Mag Fhearadhaigh, 'son of Fearadhach' (manly), 'a not uncommon surname, especially in East Connacht, Tyrone and Antrim'. He notes it is sometimes, in speech, 'erroneously translated O'Hare and Hare' and sometimes anglicised O'Garriga. In 1890, Ireland's birth indexes held 14 Garry entries, with no principal counties recorded.

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Coat of arms associated with the Garry surname
Irish formMag Fhearadhaigh
Meaning'son of Fearadhach' (manly)
Other spellings5

Origin of the Garry name

Woulfe: Mag Fhearadhaigh, 'son of Fearadhach' (manly), is 'a not uncommon surname, especially in East Connacht, Tyrone and Antrim'; in the spoken language it is 'sometimes corrupted to Ó Giorraidhe, and erroneously translated O'Hare and Hare, as if from girrfhiadh, a hare', and sometimes to Ó Gearaga, anglicised O'Garriga.[1]

  1. 189014 Garry birth entries (Leinster 8, Munster 1, Ulster 2, Connaught 3); no principal counties given.[2]

Other spellings

MacGarry · Magarry · Megarry · Garrahy · Gerry[1]

The Garry coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Garry surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Garry crest gifts

Clan Garry Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap TV93 Garry Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Garry Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Garry Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapRI83 Classic Cap - Garry Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Garry Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Garry surname: questions

What does the surname Garry mean?

Woulfe gives Garry as a form of Mag Fhearadhaigh, 'son of Fearadhach', which he glosses as 'manly'.[1]

Where does the Garry surname come from?

Woulfe calls it 'a not uncommon surname, especially in East Connacht, Tyrone and Antrim'.[1]

Is Garry related to O'Hare?

Woulfe says Mag Fhearadhaigh is sometimes, in the spoken language, 'erroneously translated O'Hare and Hare, as if from girrfhiadh, a hare' — a mistranslation, not a real shared origin.[1]

Is Garry the same name as Geary or O'Gara?

Garry comes from a different Woulfe headword (Mag Fhearadhaigh) to Geary and O'Gara (Ó Gadhra), though Woulfe's Ó Gadhra entry separately lists 'Garry' as one more spelling of that family too; this hub follows only the Mag Fhearadhaigh entry.[1]

Sources

  1. Mag Fhearadhaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mag/mag-fhearadhaigh.php
  2. Garry — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/garry.php
  3. M'Garry — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1334.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).