Show ContentsGorrie Surname History

  • Origins Available:
  • Scotland
Extended Surname History Download (PDF) - Letter Size

Extended Surname History Download (PDF) - Letter Size

Etymology of Gorrie

What does the name Gorrie mean?

The many centuries old Dalriadan-Scottish name Gorrie comes from the personal name Goraidh, an Old Norse forename. The Gaelic form of the name was Mac Goraidh, which means son of Goraidh. or son of Godfrey.

Early Origins of the Gorrie family

The surname Gorrie was first found in on the Isle of Skye, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Gorrie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gorrie research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1380 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Gorrie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gorrie Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Gorrie has been spelled MacGorrie, MacGorry, MacGory, MacGorey and others.

Early Notables of the Gorrie family

More information is included under the topic Early Gorrie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gorrie migration to the United States +

Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Gorrie family emigrate to North America:

Gorrie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Gorrie, aged 30, who landed in North Carolina in 1812 1
  • William Gorrie, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1824 1

Gorrie migration to Australia +

Gorrie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Robert Gorrie, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2

Gorrie migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gorrie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Gorrie, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • William Gorrie, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • James Gorrie, aged 45, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
  • Helen Gorrie, aged 32, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
  • James Gorrie, aged 13, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gorrie (post 1700) +

  • Robert Gorrie (b. 1987), American actor, known for his work on One Life to Live (2013), The Preppie Connection (2015) and License Plates (2016)
  • John Gorrie (1802-1855), Scottish-born, American physician, scientist, inventor, and humanitarian, eponym of the John Gorrie State Museum, Florida
  • Dave Gorrie (1930-2015), American head baseball coach at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 1960 to 1977
  • Donald Cameron Easterbrook Gorrie (1933-2012), Scottish Liberal Democrat politician, Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland (1999-2007)
  • Alan Edward Gorrie (b. 1946), Scottish musician, founding member of the Average White Band
  • Peter C Gorrie (1918-1942), Australian airman killed during a bombing raid, eponym of Gorrie Airfield, a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airfield in the Northern Territory during World War II
  • John Gorrie (b. 1932), English BAFTA Award winning director and screenwriter, known for Private Lives (1976), Cause célèbre (1987) and Edward the King (1975)
  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa

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