This most interesting name, with variant spellings Orry, Ourry, Urry, Horry, Hurry, etc., is a Norman pronunciation of the Olde English pre 7th Century given name "Wulfric" (Middle English "Wol(f)rich") which is composed of the elements "wulf", wolf and "ric", meaning power. This particular personal name also gives rise to the modern English surnames Wooldridge, Woolrich, etc. The Domesday Book of 1066 records the personal name as "Vlfric, Vlfricus and Vlricus", while the surname itself first appears in the early 13th Century (see below). One Herueus Urri was recorded in 1209 in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk, while Alan Hurry appeared in the 1219 Feet of Fines of Essex. The Liber Feodorum of Salop (now Shropshire) mention a Geoffrey Orry in 1235. Elizabeth Orae was christened on November 23rd 1613 at St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, while Isaack, son of Ralph and Mary Orrey was christened in December 1639 in London. Elizabeth, daughter of Jacques and Catherine Oury (French Huguenots) was christened on January 22nd 1716 at Threadneedle Street, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter Urri which was dated 1208, in the "Curia Rolls of Lincolnshire", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. 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.

© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2024