Show ContentsSeery History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Seery has changed considerably in the time that has passed since its genesis. It originally appeared in Gaelic as Mag Fhearadhaigh, derived from the word "fearadhach," possibly meaning "manly." [1]

Early Origins of the Seery family

The surname Seery was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they held a family seat from ancient times. [2]

Over in Devon, England, "The ' Domesday ' manor of Kari, in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Heath, was the first recorded seat of the Gary family ; and one branch continued to reside there so late as the reign of Elizabeth. As early, however, as the reign of Richard II. it ceased to be their principal home. Sir William Gary then settled at Clovelly, and his brother Sir John, Chief Baron of the Exchequer, acquired, with many other manors, that of Cockington, only to lose them all by deciding for Richard against the Commissioners. His attainder was reversed in favour of his son Robert, who gained the favour of Henry V. by vanquishing an Aragonese knight in Smithfield. Two generations later the family were again in difficulty. Sir William Gary, grandson of Robert, was an ardent Lancastrian ; and one of those who, after the fatal battle of Tewkesbury, took refuge in the Abbey Church. Two days later the refugees were treacherously beheaded. The usual forfeiture followed; but Sir William's eldest son, Robert, obtained restoration from Henry VII. He was the ancestor of the present stock of Devonshire Carys. From his half-brother spring the ennobled Carys, represented by Lord Falkland." [3]

Early History of the Seery family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seery research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1585, 1667 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Seery History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seery Spelling Variations

Numerous spelling variations of the surname Seery exist. A partial explanation for these variants is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Garry, Garrihy, Hare, O'Hare, O'Heihir, MacGarry and many more.

Early Notables of the Seery family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Seery Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seery Ranking

In the United States, the name Seery is the 15,354th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [4]


United States Seery migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Seery:

Seery Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Luke Seery, aged 30, who arrived in America, in 1893
  • Margt. Seery, aged 8, who arrived in America, in 1894
  • Patrick Seery, aged 68, who arrived in America, in 1894
Seery Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Julia Seery, aged 19, who arrived in America from Glashill, Ireland, in 1908
  • Daniel Seery, aged 36, who arrived in America from Moate, Ireland, in 1909
  • Joseph Seery, aged 30, who arrived in America from Ballycumber, Ireland, in 1910
  • James Seery, aged 35, who immigrated to Columbus, Ohio, America, in 1912
  • Edmond Seery, aged 33, who immigrated to New York, America, in 1912
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Seery migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Seery Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Margaret Seery, aged 50 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Covenanter" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Seery (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Seery (b. 1945), American politician, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
  • John Emmett Seery (1861-1930), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1884 to 1892
  • Billie Seery (b. 1965), American professional baseball player
  • John Seery (b. 1941), American artist
  • Major W. Seery, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 8th District, 1956 [6]
  • Edward St. Lawrence Seery, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1916; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Connecticut 5th District, 1918 [6]
  • Clarence W. Seery, American politician, Delegate to Michigan convention to ratify 21st amendment from Oakland County 2nd District, 1933 [6]
  • Eva Mary Seery (1874-1937), Australian political organiser


The Seery 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: Fear garbh ar mait
Motto Translation: Here is a good rough man.


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  3. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 54)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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