Surname Guiry - Meaning and Origin

Guiry: What does the surname Guiry mean?

The surname Guiry is of Irish origin and derives from the Gaelic name "Ó Gadhra." Gadhra is commonly understood to mean "hound" or "mastiff" in English, so the name essentially translates to "descendant of the hound or mastiff." The Ó Gadhra family was historically a prominent sept (a clan or group sharing a common ancestor) in Ireland, specifically in the province of Connacht in the west of the country. Over time, Ó Gadhra was anglicized to several variations including Guiry, Garry, Geary, and others. Typically, surnames derived from animals in Gaelic culture denote strength or other desirable attributes associated with that animal. In this case, a hound or mastiff would symbolize loyalty, protection, and courage. As such, the Guiry surname signifies a lineage supposedly possessing these characteristics.

Guiry: Where does the name Guiry come from?

The last name of Guiry is most often found in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Medieval records show that Guiries were members of the prominent and wealthy Gaelic-Irish tribe of O’ Guerin, who were chiefly based in modern-day County Limerick, as well as County Clare and Counties Kerry, Tipperary and Waterford.

Outside of Ireland, the Guiry name is also common in France, particularly in Brittany, where it is spelled Gueguen or Gueguer. The name is also found in Quebec, Canada, most likely brought by Irish settlers during the 19th century.

In the United States, the name has become popular in recent decades, as many Irish Americans and others of Irish descent use it as a family name. It is particularly common in the Midwest, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Its popularity peaked in the mid-2000s, and it remains a common name today. It is often found within large Irish-American communities, such as the one near Boston.

In addition, many emigrants from both France and Ireland have now moved elsewhere in the Western world, bringing their name with them, meaning that it is also relatively common in countries like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Variations of the surname Guiry

The surname Guiry has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Guiry is of Irish origin and is the Anglicized version of the Irish name Ó giolla Riabhaigh, which means “descendant of the devotee of Riabhach”. Alternatively, Guiry may also derive from the anglicised Gaelic Ó giobraigh, which means “descendant of Giobraigh”.

The variants of the surname include Gurey, Guirry, Girry, Guiry, Gurry, Geery, Geery, Gorry, Gwiry, O'Guiry, Geary, and Ghury. Other spellings include Gurie, Guri, Gury, Guire, Guaire, Giorry, Gwire, and Gware.

The surnames of the same origin include Ó Giolla Riabhaigh, Ó Giobraigh, Mac Geoghegan, MacAogán, MacAoidh, and Ó Riabhaigh. All of these variants and spellings can be found throughout Ireland and in other parts of the world as well.

Famous people with the name Guiry

• Mike Guiry, professional British Base Jumper and Wingsuit Pilot
• Tom Guiry, American actor known for television roles such as Sutherland in The Sopranos and Tommy in the movie Mystic River
• Maurice Guiry, French composer
• Dan Guiry, Irish actor known for his roles in Love/Hate, His Dark Materials and Shadow and Bone
• Kaylee Guiry, Australian actress known for her role in Underbelly: The Golden Mile
• Maura Guiry, Canadian film producer of movies such as True Bleu and The Business of Color
• Eileen Guiry, Irish actress known for her roles in TV shows such as Jo and Coronation Street
• John Guiry, American musician and actor, known for composing songs for the television show The Office
• Mikey Guiry, Irish guitarist and vocalist for the band Autmnflow
• Christopher Guiry, British lawyer and former politician
• Neil Guiry, Irish game developer, best known for his work on video games such as TimeSplitters and Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

Other surnames

Guire