Show ContentsParie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the Celtic land of Wales comes the name Parie. The Parie 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 Parie family

The surname Parie 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 Parie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parie 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 Parie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parie Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Parie have included Parry, Parrey, Parrie and others.

Early Notables of the Parie 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 Parie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Parie family to Ireland

Some of the Parie 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.

Migration of the Parie family

Many Welsh families joined their Scottish and Irish neighbors during the late 1800s and early 1900s in seeking refuge in North America. Like the Irish and Scottish, many Welsh anxiously awaited the work, freedom, and opportunities that they believed lay in North America. Those who did journey over to the United States and what became known as Canada often realized those dreams, but only through much toil and perseverance. Whenever and however these Welsh immigrants arrived in North America, they were instrumental in the creation of the industry, commerce, and cultural heritage within those two developing nations. In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Parie were found: Anne Parry, who settled in Virginia with her husband in 1637; William Parry, who came to Virginia in 1636; as did Anthony, in 1653; Davey Parry in 1663.



The Parie 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.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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