MCCORRY
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Corry, Mccorry
McCorry is a surname of Gaelic origin, situated within the broader linguistic and cultural milieu of the British Isles, and in particular Ireland. The name is a linguistic hybrid, reflecting Celtic, Norse, and Germanic influences that have merged over centuries of interaction in the region.
The earliest form of the surname is Mac Gothraidh, an anglicised rendering of the Gaelic patronymic mac meaning “son of”, followed by the personal name Gothraidh. The personal name itself is a Gaelic adaptation of the Old Norse Guthrothr (gud = “god” and frithu = “peace”), a meaning that has been preserved in the tone of the later name. Consequently, the literal translation of McCorry is “son of God‑peace”. In another line of linguistic tradition, the surname is also linked to the Gaelic O’McCorra, which denotes “descendant of Corra”, a diminutive of Coire meaning “cupper” or “stabber”, hinting at a personal epithet applied to an ancestor.
A multitude of orthographic variants have appeared in historical records. These include McCory, McCurrie, McCurry, Corr, O‘Corr, Cory, Corry, Currie and Curry. The diversity of spellings is attributable to the low levels of literacy in eighteenth‑ and nineteenth‑century Ireland, the unfamiliarity of clerical record‑keepers with Gaelic dialects, and the wide dispersion of the family by the early modern period.
The earliest documented instance of the family name dates back to 1186, when a figure named Teag gilla Corr is recorded in the Annals of Ulster during the reign of Rory O’Connor, the High King of Ireland (1166‑1198). This record confirms that the name has deep roots in Irish history and indicates its presence almost a millennium before the first modern printed references.
In the Irish context, the surname is most commonly found in the province of Ulster, and more specifically within the counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh. The concentration in these counties has led to the identification of a particular sept that formed the nucleus of the McCorry lineage. Historical accounts also note that the McCorrys were associated with the powerful Clann Ui Neill, a dynastic group that ruled the Tír Chonaill region, which encompassed present‑day Donegal and its surrounding coastal districts. This association also links the surname to the O’Donnell line, through which some McCorry families traced descent from the O'Donell clan.
Throughout the nineteenth century, many members of the McCorry family migrated to Scotland. In some cases, the surname was altered in the Scottish context to MacCreery, reflecting the linguistic environment of the Lowlands. Other members who remained in Ireland retained the anglicised form or adopted variants such as McRorry. Church records of the period—such as the baptism of Mary, daughter of Daniel and Mary McCory, at Kilrea, Londonderry, on 18 November 1829, and the christening of Frederick, son of Edward and Elizabeth McCorry, at Moira, County Down, in 1837—provide concrete evidence of the name’s continued prevalence in rural parish communities.
The great famine of the 1840s prompted further emigration. In 1846, Henry McCurry and his wife Mary were recorded as passengers aboard the ship Ward‑Chipman, which departed Liverpool for New York on 8 August. Subsequent generations settled in the United States, particularly in the states of New York and Massachusetts, where the name remained associated with eastern urban centres. The Scottish emigrants also established families in Canada, contributing to a measurable diaspora in that country.
Today, the surname McCorry continues to be most frequently encountered in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland. In continental territories, it is represented in Canada, Australia, and the United States, where Eastern states such as New York and Massachusetts retain the highest concentrations. The persistence of the surname in these regions is a testament to the enduring legacy of Irish migration and the historical interconnectedness of the British Isles.
In 2003, descendants of the clan convened a reunion in Ireland, an event organised by members who had migrated worldwide. The gathering underscored the cultural significance of the surname, which remains a visible symbol of Irish heritage and identity for those who bear it in diverse parts of the globe.
Typical given names associated with the McCorry surname
Male
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- Seamus
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anna
- Anne
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Marie
- Mary
- Patricia
- Pauline
- Rachel
- Roisin
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 McCorry in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 378 people named McCorry in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around six in a million people in Britain are named McCorry.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
