Show ContentsKory History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Welsh Kory family name comes from the name of the parish of Kerrey, which is in the county of Montgomery. The surname Kory belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Kory family

The surname Kory was first found in Montgomeryshire (Welsh: Sir Drefaldwyn), located in mid-Eastern Wales, one of thirteen historic counties, and anciently the medieval kingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Kory family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kory research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1555, 1556 and 1559 are included under the topic Early Kory History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kory Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Kory has occasionally been spelled Kerry, Kerrie and others.

Early Notables of the Kory family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kory Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kory family

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 Kory: Edward Kerry settled in New England in 1766.


Contemporary Notables of the name Kory (post 1700) +

  • L. Kaye Kory, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Virginia State House of Delegates 38th District; Elected 2011 1
  • Delores N. Kory, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1968; Member of Michigan Republican State Central Committee, 1969 1
  • Kory Gerren Sheets (b. 1985), American running back for the Oakland Raiders, former CFL player; named 2013 Grey Cup Most Valuable Player (MVP)
  • Kory Bingaman, American artist and graphic novelist, eponym of 28341 Bingaman, a main-belt minor planet
  • Kory C. Casto (b. 1981), former American Major League Baseball player
  • Kory Kalani Kahaunaele Sperry (b. 1985), American football tight end


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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