Kerry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

Wales

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

Early Origins of the Kerry family

The surname Kerry 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 Kerry family

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

Kerry 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. Therefore, 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 Kerry has occasionally been spelled Kerry, Kerrie and others.

Early Notables of the Kerry family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

John Kerry (fl. 1550s), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hereford in 1559 and Mayor of Hereford (1555-1556)...

Kerry Ranking

In the United States, the name Kerry is the 14,023^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Kerry migration to the United States +

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Kerry

Kerry Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Falentyn Kerry, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
Edward Kerry, who settled in New England in 1766

Kerry migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kerry Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Patrick Kerry, aged 38 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Argo" departing 4th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 12th June 1847 but he died on board 3

Kerry Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

F A Kerry, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Kerry migration to Australia +

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

Kerry Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Kerry, British convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Mrs. Eliza Kerry, (b. 1796), aged 40, English laundress who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for 14 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, listed as having 4 children on board with her 5
Miss Kerry, English settler traveling with convict mother Mrs. Eliza Kerry, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Kerry, English settler traveling with convict mother Mrs. Eliza Kerry, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Kerry (post 1700) +

John Forbes Kerry (b. 1943), United States senator from Massachusetts, 68th United States Secretary of State (2013-)
Peggy Kerry, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 2004 6
Margaret Kerry, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1988 6
John Forbes Kerry (b. 1943), American Democratic Party politician, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, 1983-85; U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, 1985-; Candidate for President of the United States, 2004 6
Elizabeth Kerry, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 2004 6
Diana Kerry, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 2004 6
Cameron Kerry, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 2004 6
Mrs. Joan Kerry B.E.M., British church warden at St George’s Church, was appointed Medallist of the British Empire Medal 29th December 2018 for services to the community in Clun, Shropshire 7
Danny Kerry, British field hockey coach at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Marcus Anthony Kerry (b. 1959), Australian two-time gold and bronze medalist backstroke and freestyle swimmer in the 1980s