Contents [hide]

Henry History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Henry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Ireland
Scotland

The Irish name Henry was originally written in a Gaelic form as Ó hInneirghe, which is derived from an adjective meaning easily roused early.

Early Origins of the Henry family

The surname Henry was first found in County Tyrone (Irish:Tír Eoghain), the ancient territory of the O'Neills, now in the Province of Ulster, central Northern Ireland, where they held a family seat at Cullentra. From here, the head of this Irish sept extended his territories into the valley of Glenconkeiny in County Londonderry.

Meilor Fitzhenry (d. 1220), was "Justiciar of Ireland, was the son of Henry, the bastard son of King Henry I, by Nesta, the wife of Gerald of Windsor, and the daughter of Rhys ab Tewdwr, king of South Wales. He was thus the first cousin of Henry II, and related to the noblest Norman and native families of South Wales. " 1

Early History of the Henry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henry research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1753, 1785, 1796, 1800, 1816 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Henry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henry Spelling Variations

Just like the English language, the Gaelic language of Ireland was not standardized in the Middle Ages. Therefore, one's name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origins of the Henry family name include O'Henry, Fitzhenry, MacHenry, MacEnery, MacEniry and others.

Early Notables of the Henry family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

James McHenry (1753-1816), American (Irish-born) patriot in the American Revolution
Secretary of War 1796-1800, and private secretary to George Washington. Another James McHenry (1785-1845) was a poet and novelist. Mrs. Fitzhenry was a well known Irish actress near the end of the 18t...

Henry World Ranking

In the United States, the name Henry is the 133^rd most popular surname with an estimated 169,116 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Henry is ranked the 232^nd most popular surname with an estimated 17,410 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Henry is the 363^rd popular surname. 4 France ranks Henry as 38^th with 46,229 people. 5 Australia ranks Henry as 290^th with 12,138 people. 6 New Zealand ranks Henry as 203^rd with 2,743 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Henry as 360^th with 17,384 people. 8

Henry migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Henry to North America:

Henry Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Wm Henry, aged 18, who arrived in Bermuda, (Somers Islands) in 1635 aboard the ship "Truelove" 9
Andrew Henry, who arrived in Virginia in 1651 10
David Henry, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 10
Richard Henry, who landed in Virginia in 1655 10
William Henry, who arrived in Maryland in 1659 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Henry Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Henry, who landed in Virginia in 1704 10
Danl Henry, who landed in Virginia in 1713 10
John Francis Henry, who landed in South Carolina in 1739 10
John Frederik Henry, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1741 10
Marian Henry, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Henry Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Henry, who landed in New York in 1803 10
John Henry, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1804 10
Jean Henry, who arrived in Louisiana in 1805-1809 10
John Henry, who arrived in Virginia in 1807 10
John Henry, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Henry Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

David George Henry, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1900 10
Adolf Henry, who landed in Arkansas in 1903 10
Mrs. Edith B Henry, (b. 1868), aged 35, American settler returning from Mevagissey, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th October 1903 en route to New York, USA 11
Mr. John Henry, (b. 1875), aged 28, Cornish clerk travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 19th September 1903 en route to New York, USA 11

Henry migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Henry Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Edmond Henry, who arrived in Canada in 1662
Mr. Edmé Henry, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 1st May 1662 12

Henry Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Vincent Henry, son of Vincent and Marie, who married Marie-Suzanne Mouflet, daughter of Jea nand Anne, in Montreal, Quebec on 25th February 1710 13
Louis Henry, son of Marin and Jeanne, who married Marie-Josephte Germain, daughter of Jean and Catherine, in Sainte-Geneviève, Quebec on 21st February 1735 13
Pierre Henry, son of Robert and Marie-Madeleine, who married Marguerite Brasseaux, daughter of Mathieu and Jeanne, in Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia on 2nd May 1736 13
Jean Henry, son of Mathurin and Geneviève, who married Marguerite Poulin, daughter of Claude and Marguerite, in Saint-Joachim, Quebec on 21st November 1746 13
Hugh Henry, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Henry Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Job Henry, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
James Henry, aged 36, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
Margaret Henry, aged 25, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
Patrick Henry, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
Matthew Henry, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Henry migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Henry Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Henry, (b. 1778), aged 22, English farmer who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1862 14
Mr. Robert Henry, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. Benjamin Henry, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
Mr. George William Henry, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life , transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 17
Thomas Henry, a spinner, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Henry migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Henry Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr Henry, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841
Thomas Henry, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
Miss Mary Henry, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Martaban" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1856 18
R.W. Henry, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Mrs. Ann Henry, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th June 1858 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Henry migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19

Henry Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Guillaume Henry, aged 17, who arrived in Cuba in 1785 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Henry (post 1700) +

William A. Henry III (1950-1994), award-winning American cultural critic and author awarded the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism
Patrick Henry (1736-1799), Famous for saying "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death!"
Clarence Henry II (1937-2024), known as Clarence "Frogman" Henry, an American rhythm and blues singer and pianist, best known for his hits "Ain't Got No Home" (1956) and "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" (1961)
Thomas Christopher "Tom" Henry (1951-2024), American businessman and politician, 35th Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, from 2008 until his death, President and CEO of the Gallant Group, an insurance agency specializing in healthcare consulting
Beulah Louise Henry (1887-1973), American inventor, nicknamed "Lady Edison," best known for her bobbin-free sewing machine, hair curler and vacuum ice cream freezer, she received 49 patents and had over 110 inventions total
Brian Tyree Henry (b. 1982), American actor and Academy Award nominee and Primetime Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Tony award nominee, best known for his roles in Causeway (2022), Atlanta (2016–2022), This Is Us (2016-2022) and Bullet Train (2022)
John Raymond Henry (1943-2022), American sculptor, known for his huge welded steel works
Samuel William "Sam" Henry (1956-2022), American drummer, best known for his work with the punk rock group The Wipers, inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2011
Martha Henry CC OOnt (1938-2021), née Buhs, American-born Canadian stage, film, and television actress, best known for her work at the Stratford Festival in Canada
Gloria Henry (1923-2021), born Gloria Eileen McEniry, an American actress, best known for her role as Alice Mitchell, Dennis’s mother, from 1959 to 1963 on the CBS family sitcom Dennis the Menace
... (Another 30 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Henry family +

Mount Mulligan Mine

John Henry, Australian coal miner who was killed in the Mount Mulligan Mine explosion in 1921

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

Dora Henrietta Henry (1932-1988), Scottish resident of Lockerbie from Scotland, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 20
Maurice Peter Henry (1925-1988), Scottish resident of Lockerbie from Scotland, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 20

RMS Lusitania

Mrs. Catherine Henry, American 3rd Class passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 21

RMS Titanic

Miss Bridget Delia Henry (d. 1912), aged 23, Irish Third Class passenger from Clonown, Roscommon who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 22

SS Atlantic

Mr. James Henry, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking

USS Arizona

Mr. John W. Henry, American Ensign working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 23

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved 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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html