This interesting and unusual name is of Scottish origin and is the patronymic form of an Old Gaelic personal name "Guaire", the "mac", denoting "the son of". The derivation of this personal name is from the early Gaelic "gaurio-s", which is akin to the Greek "gauros", both having the identical meaning, noble or proud. In the Isle of Man the name has become Quarry, and in Ireland, Gorey. In the modern idiom, the variants include MacQuarrey, MacQuarie, and MacWharrie. One John M'Quarrie, from Lagan was denounced a rebel in 1674 and in Barony, Lanarkshire on September 10th 1797 one, Amelia McQuarrig married James McCalluna, and one Catherine MacQuarrie was christened in Edinburgh, Midlothian, on April 21st 1819. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John M'Goyre, (witness), which was dated 1463, Ross, Scotland, during the reign of King James 111 of Scotland, 1460 - 1488. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2024