Courey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Courey

What does the name Courey mean?

The ancient name of Courey finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a messenger or person who dresses tanned leather. In the former case, the surname Courey is derived from the Old French words corëor or courreour, which mean courier. 1

In the latter case, the surname is derived from the Old French word couraieur, which in turn comes from the Old French word conreeur, which means currier. 2

Early Origins of the Courey family

The surname Courey was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kildwick from ancient times.

Eluding to the occupational nature of the name, we found Richard le Curer in the Assize Rolls for Northumberland in 1256 and Henry le Coureer in Berkshire in 1281. Maurice le curaour was listed as a Freeman of York in 1293 and further to the south, William le Coureour was recorded in Devon in 1314. 3

William Curreyour, Robert Curreour and John Curreior were found in Colchester in 1375. Back in Yorkshire, Andrew Curier was listed as a Freeman of York in 1400. Robert Curryar was listed in the Feet of Fines for Huntingdonshire in 1546. 3

Early History of the Courey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Courey research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1220, 1256, 1293, 1314, 1375, 1379, 1400, 1430, 1546, 1656, 1661, 1740, 1813 and 1888 are included under the topic Early Courey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Courey Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Courey family name include Currer, Curror, Currier, Curryer, Conreor, Couraour, Curur, Curreour, Currour, Curryar, Corour and many more.

Early Notables of the Courey family

Notables of the family at this time include Nathaniel Currier (1813-1888), co-founder of Currier & Ives, American Lithographers who created famous prints of scenes of 19th century America...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Courey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Courey migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Courey surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Courey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Courey, aged 25, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1834 4

Courey 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:

Courey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mary Courey, aged 23, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Earl Granville" in 1880

The Courey 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: Merit
Motto Translation: Merit

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)