This interesting name is of Gaelic Irish origin, and has two possible derivations. Firstly, it may be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "(Mac)Gofraidh", itself a Gaelicized form of an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements "guth", god, and "frothr", wise. The modern surname from this source can be found as McGorrie (the patronymic form), Gorry, Gorey and Gurry. The second possible derivation for these names is from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "O'Ghaire", from "gnaire", noble. The modern surname is found particularly in County Offaly and generally in north Leinster; the Tadhg O'Guaire recorded below is described by the four Masters as "Lord of Ui Cuilinn", thought to have been in Leinster. One Patrick Gurry was a famine emigrant to America, leaving Liverpool on the "Siddons" on March 31st 1847. Thomas Gurry was christened at Killinvoy, County Roscommon, on May 7th 1848. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Tadhg O'Guaire, which was dated 1032, in the "Annals of the Four Masters", during the reign of High Kings of Ireland in Opposition, 1014 - 1119. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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