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Irish surname

Lavery: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Labhradha · 'descendant of Labhraidh' (speaker, spokesman)

Woulfe (1923) gives Lavery, with Lowry and Lowery, as an anglicised form of Ó Labhradha, 'descendant of Labhraidh' (speaker, spokesman), the name of an ancient family in Co. Down, 'where it is still common'. Its branches were known as White, Red and Strong O'Lavery. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 51 Lavery entries, all in Ulster, principally in Armagh, Antrim and Down.

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Coat of arms associated with the Lavery surname
Irish formÓ Labhradha
Meaning'descendant of Labhraidh' (speaker, spokesman)
CountiesDown, Armagh, Antrim
Other spellings7
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Lavery crest gifts

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Origin of the Lavery name

Woulfe: Ó Labhradha was the name of an ancient family in Co. Down. Its branches were distinguished by epithets: Ó Labhradha Bán ('White O'Lavery'), Ó Labhradha Ruadh ('Red O'Lavery') and Ó Labhradha Tréan ('Strong O'Lavery'). The Uí Labhradha of Kilkenny and Galway 'are most probably migrants from Ulster'.[1][3][4][5]

  1. 1857Painter John Lavery born in Belfast.[10]
  2. 189051 Lavery birth entries, all in Ulster; principally Armagh, Antrim and Down.[6]
  3. 1896John Lavery elected academician of the Royal Scottish Academy.[10]

Where in Ireland

Co. DownAncient Ó Labhradha family, 'where it is still common'; a principal Lavery county in 1890.[1][6]
Co. ArmaghFirst county named for Lavery births in 1890.[6]
Co. AntrimNamed among the counties where Lavery births were principally found in 1890.[6]

Notable people named Lavery

John Laveryb. 1857Belfast-born painter of portraits and figure subjects; associate (1892) and academician (1896) of the Royal Scottish Academy.[10]

Other spellings

Lowry · Lowery · Baun-Lavery · Roe-Lavery · Trin-Lavery · Tryn-Lavery · Trim-lavery[1][2]

The Lavery coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Lavery 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.

Lavery surname: questions

What does the surname Lavery mean?

Woulfe gives Lavery as a form of Ó Labhradha, 'descendant of Labhraidh', which he glosses as 'speaker, spokesman'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Lavery name from?

Woulfe calls Ó Labhradha an ancient Co. Down family, 'where it is still common'. In 1890 all 51 Lavery births were registered in Ulster, principally in Armagh, Antrim and Down.[1][6]

Are Lavery and Lowry the same name?

Woulfe gives Lavery, Lowry and Lowery as forms of the same Irish name, Ó Labhradha (and its variant Ó Labhraidh), and Matheson's list of reported spelling varieties gives [Lowry] under Lavery.[1][2][7][9]

Why are some Laverys called Armstrong?

Woulfe says the branch name Ó Labhradha Tréan ('Strong O'Lavery') was sometimes anglicised Armstrong, 'on the erroneous supposition' that it came from tréan, strong, and lám, a hand (or arm). Matheson's list gives [Lavery], Trim-Lavery, Trinlavery and Tryn-Lavery under Armstrong.[5][8][9]

Sources

  1. Ó Labhradha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-labhradha.php
  2. Ó Labhraidh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-labhraidh.php
  3. Ó Labhradha Bán — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-labhradha-ban.php
  4. Ó Labhradha Ruadh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-labhradha-ruadh.php
  5. Ó Labhradha Tréan — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-labhradha-trean.php
  6. Lavery — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/lavery.php
  7. Lavery — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1071.php
  8. Armstrong — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/38.php
  9. Memorandum explanatory of Alphabetical List — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/memorandum.php
  10. Lavery, John — Encyclopædia Britannica (1911), vol. 16, Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Lavery,_John

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