Carey, Cary or Carrey is a surname that has four distinct geographical origins, in order of popularity: Ireland, the English West Country, Wales and France.
The surname arises from nine recorded distinct patronymics in Ireland, and is numerous and widespread;Edward MacLysaght, 'Surnames of Ireland', Irish Academic Press, Dublin 1985, 'Irish Families', I.A.P. 1985 & c. P. Woulfde, 'Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gaii', Dublin, 1923 online at Foras na Gaeilge, official Irish language org online at http://www.sloinne.ie/?q=Carey the many original forms have been listed by the National Folklore Collection of Ireland in 2015,National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin, 2015, online at http://www.duchas.ie/en/nom?txt=Carey increasing the number of variants quoted by the Registrar General of Ireland in 1890.R.E. Matheson, Preface to 'Varieties and Synonyms of Surnames & Christian Names in Ireland', Dublin, 1901 Some forms contain the Old Irish adjective 'ciar'- 'black/dark', of which Ó Ciardha (County Kildare, County Westmeath & 'many parts of the south of Ireland'),Woulfe P., 'Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall' or 'Irish Names and Surnames', Dublin, 1923 online at http://www.libraryireland.com Ó Ciaráin (County Cork), Ó Céirín, (County Kerry, County Clare, County Mayo), Ó Cearáin (County Mayo), Mac Giolla Céire (County Cork, County Kilkenny), Ó Ciarmhacháin (County Cork)Woulfe, Op. Cit.Dr Edward MacLysaght, 'Irish Families', Irish Academic Press, Dublin, 1985. & E. MacLysaght, 'More Irish Families', IAP, Dublin, 1982 and Ó Ciarmhaic in some parts of Munster; also from the County Galway and County Meath surname Mac Fhiachra, through its early phonetic anglicisations of Keighry, Kehery & c.;E. MacLysaght, 'More Irish Families', IAP, Dublin, 1982 from Hanks P. 'Dictionary of American Family Names' (O.U.P.) 2003 and from Ó Carráin/Ó Corráin (County Tipperary), with the Irish root 'carra/corra'- 'spear';R.E. Matheson, Preface to 'Varieties and Synonyms of Surnames & Christian Names in Ireland, Dublin, 1901; Woulfe Op. Cit. and MacFhearadhaigh (MacCarry/MacCary), root 'fear'-'man', of County Antrim.
It may derive from the English West Country, viz. Castle Cary on the River Cary in Somerset and/or Carey Barton on the River Carey in Devon, containing either the Pre-Celtic element 'kar'- 'stony/hard' (Watts, 2004),Victor Watts, 'Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names', Cambridge University Press, 2004 or the Celtic language element 'car' 'dear/pleasant' (Hanks, 2003).
Carew, Pembrokeshire, from Welsh language 'Caeriw'- with the Celtic root 'caer'- 'fort', or from places in Cornwall, perhaps with the cognate Cornish element 'ker',Hanks P,. 'Dictionary of American Family Names', Oxford, 2003 or the Pre-Celtic element 'car'- 'stony/stones' as in Carey Tor, Bodmin Moor.
Carey occurs as a variant of (de) Carrey in archives in Normandy, Burgundy, Franche-Comté etc., in France from habitational names, possibly with the Pre-Celtic element 'car'-'stony/stones'.Dr Jean-Pierre Dickes, 'Les Noms de Famille en Boulonais, Calaisis et Pays de Montreuil', Boulogne-sur-Mer, 1986, page 79 The Norman name is probably the origin of the surname in Guernsey, Channel Islands.
Worldwide distribution The Irish provenance of Carey, through emigration, is not only particularly evident in the US and Australia, but also in Great Britain. The first two entries under 'Carey' in the 'Dictionary of American Family Names' (Oxford, 2003) gives Irish origins; the New York Passengers List (1820–1957) show 2,058 Carey immigrants from Ireland compared with 345 from England. In 2010, British telephone directories showed highest numbers of Careys in areas of Irish immigration: Greater London (320), Greater Manchester & Lancashire (272), Kent (163), West Yorkshire (145) and West Midlands (145).
Evolution in Ireland The Southern Uí Néill sept of Ó Ciardha was dispersed by the end of the 12th century (Woulfe, MacLysaght, et al. op. cit.) due to the incursions of the Cambro-Norman invaders. Their territory at Carbury was later settled by the De Berminghams, who built the castle on top of the ancient hill settlement.
This ua Ciardha sept are recorded early, e.g. 'ua Ciardai, ri Cairpri', i.e. O Carey, king of Carbury, in AD 954, Annals of Ulster, 'MaelRuaining hua Ciardha, rí Cairpri', 993, Annals of Tigernach.
Ó Dubhagáin (died 1372) wrote of 'Ó Ciardha over Cairbre of poets, of the tribes of Nine-hostaged Niall'. The Genealogies of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh (c 1400) mentions them: 'O Ciarda obtained heavy profit of the land of Cairbre'. They seem to re-appear in 17th-century records for County Meath, County Westmeath and County Offaly. O' Donovan writes in his notes to the above 'Topographical poems of Ó Dubhagáin and Ó hUidhrín', (1862): 'O Ciardha is now anglicised Keary and Carey, and the name is common, but to be found only among the lower orders' (note 379), and 'Ó Ciardha, now anglicised Keary and Carey, a rather numerous name in the counties of Meath and Kildare' (note 447).
However, this epithet type surname from 'ciar'-'dark/black' is common and widespread in Ireland and has arisen independently in other parts of the country, notably in Cos Cork, Kerry and Mayo, including diminutive forms such as Ó Ciaráin, Ó Céirín Ó Ciarmhacháin and Ó Cearáin. For example, in the Annals of Ulster in 1224 we find 'Mathgamain mac Ceithernaigh h-Ui Ceirín, rí Ciaraidhe Lacha na Nairne, mortuus est'. Early examples are found in those counties; and these other Carey families would not belong to the well known midland Uí Néill sept of Ó Ciardha. For example, it has been claimed that the East Cork family anciently using the form Ó Ciaráin would account for bearers of the name Carey with origins in East Cork and the adjacent parts of Waterford (Woulfe op. cit., MacLysaght op. cit.), whereas the West Cork Careys may well have arisen separately, but having the same etymological source in the adjective/attribute 'ciar', which occurs anciently as 'cer'.Ó Corráin, D. 'Ireland Before the Normans', Dublin 1972. Page 203, Notes: Ch 2, (1).
From the Irish records
Some examples from the Fiants'Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, 1521–1603' official letters patent unique to Ireland (British Library, National Library of Ireland etc.) (mostly in receipt of 'pardons' for 'rebellion'): Dermot M'Donoghe O' Cary, 'gent, lord and captain' of Duhallow, North West Co Cork, 1561; Maurice Kerry, County Wexford, 1561; Patrick O' Kearine, East Cork, 1570; James Cary, County Meath, 1582; O' Kearane, County Cork, 1599; Margery Ny Kerrye, County Cork, 1600; William O'Carie of County Longford, 1602; Donnell O' Kearyne, South East Cork, 1602; O' Keryne, County Clare, several 1600s. A number of bearers occur in the '1641 Depositions', notably in Co Mayo, e.g. Cormac Cary and Co Westmeath, e.g. Laughlin Ó Cary. Also in the Calendar of State Papers e.g. John Kearie & Katherin Kery, County Limerick, 1653, are 'transported'.Calendar of State Papers relating to Ireland, National Library of Ireland
In King James 11's Irish Army, 1688–90 (v. Williamite War in Ireland) is Thomas Carey (alias Keary in French records), Ensign, Barrett's Regiment, Co Cork. There is also listed in French records an Ensign Kery in Creagh's Regiment.Gilbert, John T, 'A Jacobite Narrative of the War in Ireland 1688–1691', Shannon, Ireland, University Press, 1971, SBN 7165 0050 7
Regarding the above forms, Gaelic names would have been 1) simplified over time in local speech, and 2) spelt phonetically by English 17th-century officials, who would also have assimilated them to British models where available; there are common Irish names whose anglicised forms coincide with rarer British names, e.g. Brady, (Mac Brádaigh), Boyle (Ó Baoighill), Conway (Mac Connmhaigh, Mac Conmidhe & c.), Cullen (Ó Cuilinn & c).
By the mid-17th century, records taken by the Cromwellian official Sir William Petty, known as the1659 Census,Séamus Pender Ed. 'A 'Census' of Ireland circa 1659 with essential materials from the Poll Money', Dublin, 1931 shows 'Cary' as a 'Principal Irish Name' in County Meath and County Offaly, 'McCarey/McCarrey' as a Principal Irish Name in County Westmeath and 'Kegry' also in the same county. Three '', or owners of land, of the name are recorded in the 1659 Census for Co Cork: one native Irish, William Cary in Kilbrittain, West Cork, head of an extensive 'family' of 23; one of possibly Norman origin, Theophilus Cary (also 'Carew' in the 'Census') sheriff of Cork, just west of Cork city in modern Ballincollig in Barretts Barony; and one English, Capt. Peter Cary, (also 'Carew' in the 'Census') a Cromwellian soldier, purchaser of a considerable estate in North East Cork. This last family, of 'Careysville' near Fermoy, claimed to be of Devonshire origin, and died out in the male line in the late 19th century.caution is advised vis-a-vis the earlier genealogies (assumed connections, inaccuracies) on the following web page: http://fosbery.tripod.com/CareyFamily.htm
A number of native forms appears in the Hearth Money Rolls for Co Tipperary in 1664/5/7. These native householders would have been the progenitors of the numerous Carey families recorded in Tipperary in the 1850s (Griffith's 'Primary Valuation'). Examples in 1664 in South Tipperary: Patrick McCarda, Michael Carrig, Thomas Carry, John Cary, Wm Cary, Connor Cary, William Cary, Graine Carhe, John McCarragh, Morrish Carragh, Daniell Kyary, David Keary etc.; and in North Tipperary: Donnogh O' Chara, Derby Carragh, Rory McCarry, Matthew Carry, Unny Carrigh, Unny Carey and so forth. In the 1661 Poll Money Book for Clonmel, is Teige Cary, a 'gunstocker'.
In the 1659 'Census' (O) Carrane, Carran etc. occurs throughout Tipperary in large numbers, e.g. in Iffa and Offa Barony 22 householders, in Middlethird 34. Many examples occur on the Hearth Money Rolls also. Examples: Teige O' Carrane, Clanwilliam, Edmond Carrane, Middlethird etc. This Gaelic surname, Ó Carráin/Ó Corráin, has been Anglicised as Carew as well as Carey, from the end of the 16th century.McCotter, Paul, 'The Anglo-Norman Surnames of Ireland', Part 111, Irish Roots Magazine, Issue 7, 1997 online at http://www.irishabroad.com/yourroots/genealogy/names/anglonorman/part3.asp . See also: The 'Court of Claims' in Ireland, 15 July 1663, adjudicates a request for return of lands in and around Mobernan in County Tipperary forfeited by 'Teige Carrue alias O Carron'.
The Religious Census of 1766 for Co Tipperary has many entries for Car(e)y, all of whom are native 'Papists': e.g. John & Cornelius Cary, Clonoulty; Thomas Keary, Kilfeacle; Daniel Keary, Killea; Laughlin Carey and four other Careys, Cahir; John Carey/Keary, Lattin; Darby plus three other Carys, Soloheadmore etc.; Edm Keary, Templenoe etc. There are several Carews, also 'Papists', in Cloneen, Toom and Fethard.
Throughout this period and the following centuries, as noted by the Registrar General, R. E. Matheson in his report of 1901, surnames in Ireland had become altered in form by regional dialects and pronunciation, the anomalies of anglicisation and the effects of illiteracy, so as to occur in a bewildering variety of forms, even within the same families.R.E. Matheson, Preface to 'Varieties and Synonyms of Surnames & Christian Names in Ireland, Dublin, 1901 Alongside this is the process of simplification already mentioned, reinforced by the mutation of the Irish form into English letters, e.g. the 'y' ending in English replacing 'aigh', 'aidh', 'dha' and even 'n' endings, 'áin, ín' etc. cf. 'Tipperary' and Irish original 'Tiobrad Árann'.
Mid 19th century Irish figures