CORRIS
Corris is a surname that appears in several distinct cultural contexts within the British Isles, reflecting both personal‑name origin and place‑name derivation. The earliest documented form, Hugh de Corried, dates from the year 1194 in the Records of Holm, Cultram, during the reign of King William, known as “The Lion of Scotland.” This initial record indicates that the appellation was already in use nearly a century earlier than the modern conformation.
In the Welsh tradition the surname is derived from the personal name Maurice, itself a Latinised form of Mauritius. The Latin root denotes a person who was either dark‑skinned or of Moorish background, a meaning that has been preserved in the etymology of several medieval surnames. Over time the name evolved into a variety of spellings, including Morris, Morrice and Corris. The primary concentration of bearers in this vein has been Wales, where historical documents associate the name with individuals whose ancestors were likely named Maurice or who had close ties to the personal name.
Simultaneously, Corris appears as a Gaelic surname of Scottish origin, recorded in several forms such as Cory, Corrie, Coor and Coris. In this context the name is locational, drawn from any of the places named “Corried” in regions such as Arran, Dumfriess, and other areas. The place name itself is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word coire, meaning a cauldron, which in a transferred sense was used to denote a circular valley. Earliest references include Radulph de Corry who witnessed a charter by Henry de Grahame at Morton in 1220, and Walter de Corri, cousin and heir of Helewisa de Levynton, who rendered homage to King Edward the First of England in 1274 for a portion of his lands.
Later medieval records continue to demonstrate the persistence of the name in Scotland. Notably, Thomas Corry of Keldwood—a follower of the Earl of Cassilis—was acquitted of murder in 1526, and James Curyce was recorded at St Giles Cripplegate in London on the twenty‑first of January 1574. Subsequent entries note James Corris, who married Isabella Holmes at the church of St Clement Danes, London, on the twenty‑second of June 1794. In the nineteenth century, the name was carried across the seas, with Daniel Corrie (1777‑1837) serving as Bishop of Madras in 1835.
The surname also appears in Ireland under the variant Corry. Although the etymology in the Irish context is not elaborated in the surviving records, the use of the name in Irish genealogical registers indicates a broader geographic spread beyond the British mainland.
Across the centuries, the surname Corris has thus manifested in both personal‑name and place‑name traditions, with documented bearers in Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland and abroad. The continuity of the name in legal, ecclesiastical and civil records attests to its long-standing presence within the genealogical landscape of the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Corris surname
Male
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Philip
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Alison
- Bonnie
- Christine
- Deborah
- Dorothy
- Karen
- Margaret
- Michelle
- Nicola
- Patricia
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Corris in...
Braille
⠉⠕⠗⠗⠊⠎
Morse
-.-.---.-..-......
Semaphore
There are approximately 371 people named Corris in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around six in a million people in Britain are named Corris.
