Parrie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

From the Celtic land of Wales comes the name Parrie. The Parrie surname was a patronymic, created from the personal name Harry and thus was classified as a baptismal name. The surname featured the distinctive Welsh patronymic prefix "ap," hence the original form of the name was ap-Harry, which was assimilated into the surname over the course of time.

Early Origins of the Parrie family

The surname Parrie was first found in Carnarvonshire (Welsh: Sir Gaernarfon), a former county in Northwest Wales, anciently part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and today divided between the unitary authorities of Gwynedd and Conwy, where they claim descent from Moreiddig o'r dyffryn aur (Moreiddig of the Golden Waterfall) who in turn derive their pedigree from "Rhys Chwith, an esquire of the body to King Edward I., and a descendant of the ancient Lords of Cardigan." 1 Later some of the family were found at Bacton in Herefordshire. "The church contains, in the north side of the chancel, a monument of the Corinthian order, with a curious inscription, to the memory of Mrs. Blanche Parry, of Newcourt, in the parish, and for many years maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth. Mrs. Blanche Parry, in 1589, bequeathed as much land as would produce 140 bushels of wheat and rye, to be divided among the poor of Bacton and the hamlet of Newton." 2

Early History of the Parrie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parrie research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1599, 1600, 1634, 1640, 1644, 1650, 1660, 1672, 1677, 1678, 1682, 1709 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Parrie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parrie Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Parrie has seen various spelling variations: Parry, Parrey, Parrie and others.

Early Notables of the Parrie family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sir George Parry (1600-1660), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England from 1640 to 1644...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parrie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Parrie family to Ireland

Some of the Parrie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parrie migration to the United States +

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Parrie:

Parrie Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Edward Parrie, (b. 1611), aged 24, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Truelove" arriving in Massachusetts Bay in 1635 3
Edmond Parrie, who arrived in Maryland in 1638 4

The Parrie Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Heb Dduw heb Ddym, Duw a Dygon
Motto Translation: Without God, without anything, God is enough.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 6th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)