Show ContentsBurry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Burry has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived near a town or fortress. Bury is an Old English word for town (modern borough) and means therefore at the borough. Bury is a place-name in counties Suffolk, Lancashire and Huntingdonshire, and the name could have been derived from any one of those place-names.

The Burress variant literally means "dweller near a stronghold or fortified place." 1

Henry Bederic or De Bury (fl. 1380), was an early English theologian, was "born at Bury, in Suffolk, from which place he derived his surname." 2

Early Origins of the Burry family

The surname Burry was first found in Devon where Geoffrey de la Burg and Richard de la Burg were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls lists Adam de la Bury and Richard de la Bury in Oxfordshire. Years later, William atte Berge and Richard atte Bury were listed as holding lands during the reign of King Edward III (1327 until his death.) 3

Arguably, the name could have had a Norman origin as one reference claims the name was derived from Bourry, near Gisors in Normandy, for it is here that Walbert and Richard de Bouri were listed in the Mangns Rotul. Scaccarii Normanniae in 1198. They are believed to be descended from Eustace de Bouri who was listed there in 1104. 4

Richard de Bury (1287-1345), also known as Richard Aungerville or Aungervyle, was an English bishop, writer and bibliophile, born near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Burray is "an island, forming part of the ancient parish of St. Peter, island of South Ronaldshay, South isles of Orkney, Scotland." 5

Early History of the Burry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burry research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1287, 1345, 1364, 1430, 1446, 1470, 1472, 1522, 1535, 1571, 1580, 1624, 1644, 1655, 1666, 1667, 1690, 1714, 1715, 1720, 1722 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Burry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burry Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Burry have been found, including Bury, Burye, Burys, Buris, Burri, Burrey, Burry and others.

Early Notables of the Burry family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Bury (fl. 1430-1470), Canon of Windsor from 1446 to 1472; John Bury (died c. 1522), English politician, Member of Parliament for Cambridge; William Bury, a London draper; and his son, John Bury (1535-1571), an English translator; John Bury...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burry Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Burry is the 147th most popular surname with an estimated 262 people with that name. 6

Ireland Migration of the Burry family to Ireland

Some of the Burry family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Burry migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Burry, or a variant listed above:

Burry Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Burry, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, in 1893
  • Mrs. S. L. Burry, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1895
  • Wm. Burry, aged 2, who settled in America, in 1895
  • Christian Burry, aged 37, who landed in America, in 1896
Burry Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • John Burry, who settled in America, in 1903
  • Henry Burry, aged 17, who landed in America from Dublin, in 1906
  • Mary Burry, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Lismore, Ireland, in 1909
  • Benjamin Burry, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1918
  • William Burry, aged 43, who landed in America, in 1923

Canada Burry migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Burry Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Julian Burry, aged 39, who settled in Greenspond, Newfoundland in 1904
  • James Burry, aged 37, who settled in Toronto, Canada, in 1912
  • Mary Burry, aged 24, who immigrated to Greenspond, Newfoundland in 1915
  • Joseph Burry, aged 30, who immigrated to Newfoundland, in 1917
  • Frances Burry, aged 49, who settled in Saint John New Brunswick, in 1919
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Burry (post 1700) +

  • Michael Burry (b. 1971), American investment fund manager, founder of the Scion Capital LLC hedge fund
  • Harold Burry (1912-1992), American head football coach at Westminster College, inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame (1996)
  • Andrew George Burry (1873-1975), Swiss-born, American businessman, manufacturer and philanthropist
  • Hugh Cameron Burry (1930-2013), New Zealand rugby union player who played for the All Blacks on the 1960 tour of South Africa
  • Mark Burry (b. 1957), New Zealand architect, son of Hugh Burry
  • Herbert Hadley "Bert" Burry (1906-1999), Canadian professional ice hockey player who played four games in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators from 1931 to 1933
  • Lynn Burry, Newfoundland co-host of the NTV Evening Newshour
  • Lester Burry (1898-1977), Newfoundland United Church minister, President of the Newfoundland Conference of the United Church (1959 to 1960)
  • Burry Stander (b. 1987), South African mountain biker, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2009 world champion

SS Caribou
  • Mr. Arthur F. Burry (b. 1913), Newfoundland passenger who was Royal Navy able bodied seaman from Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking, he has also been aboard the Gibraltar and Malta


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)


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