Show ContentsPorrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

The surname Porrey 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 Porrey family

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

Porrey 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 Porrey have included Parry, Parrey, Parrie and others.

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

Ireland Migration of the Porrey family to Ireland

Some of the Porrey 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 Porrey family

North America in the 1800s and 1900s saw the arrival of many Welsh people hoping to share in the wealth of land, work, and freedom that they felt North America held. Those who made the journey often attained those expectations, but only through an enormous amount of hard work, perseverance, and often a bout of good luck. These immigrants helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and culture of both Canada and the United States. Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Porrey: 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 Porrey 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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