NameCensus.

UK surname

Guiry

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Godhfraidh, meaning "godly peace."

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Stratford-on-Avon and Braintree.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Guiry is 111 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

1999

111 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 14 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Guiry surname distribution map

The map shows where the Guiry surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Guiry surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Guiry over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 8 #31,867
1861 historical 4 #33,628
1891 historical 5 #33,939
1901 historical 14 #32,506
1911 historical 7 #33,083
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 108 #26,417
1999 modern 111 #26,182
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 103 #26,927
2002 modern 108 #26,698
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 101 #28,825
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 101 #30,591
2014 modern 108 #29,658
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Guirys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Stratford-on-Avon, Braintree and Northumberland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 019 Bradford
2 Bradford 058 Bradford
3 Stratford-on-Avon 009 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Braintree 002 Braintree
5 Northumberland 007 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Guiry

These lists show first names that appear often with the Guiry surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Guiry

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Guiry, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Guiry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Guiry household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Guiry is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Guiry is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Guiry falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Guiry is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Guiry, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Guiry

The surname GUIRY originated in Ireland, specifically in the ancient territory of Dál Riata which spanned parts of modern-day counties Antrim and Londonderry. It is believed to have derived from the Old Irish name "O'Guaire," meaning "descendant of Guaire," with Guaire being a Gaelic personal name. The name may also be related to the Irish word "guar," meaning "noble" or "illustrious."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GUIRY surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it mentions an individual named Guaire mac Colmáin, a King of Connacht who ruled in the 7th century. The name also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, another important historical source, which documents various members of the O'Guaire family throughout the centuries.

In the 12th century, the surname GUIRY is mentioned in the Book of Leinster, an important medieval Irish manuscript that contains a collection of early Irish genealogies and historical texts. The GUIRY family is listed among the noble families of Dál Riata, indicating their prominent status in the region.

One notable figure with the GUIRY surname was Domnall Ó Guaire, a 14th-century Irish poet and Chief Ollamh (head poet) of the O'Neill dynasty in Ulster. His works were celebrated for their skill and mastery of the intricate Irish poetic forms of the time.

Another prominent individual was Fergus O'Guiry (c. 1570 - c. 1640), an Irish soldier and military commander who served in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s. He was a prominent leader in the Confederate Catholic Association and played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

In the 18th century, John O'Guiry (1729 - 1801) was a well-known Irish Catholic priest and linguist who helped preserve the Irish language and culture during a period of oppression. He authored several works on Irish grammar and was a respected scholar of his time.

Elizabeth Guiry (1810 - 1891) was an Irish-American businesswoman and philanthropist who immigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century. She became a successful merchant in New York City and used her wealth to support various charitable causes, including the establishment of schools and churches in her adopted homeland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Guiry surname: questions and answers

How common is the Guiry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Guiry a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Guiry surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Godhfraidh, meaning "godly peace."

What does the Guiry map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Guiry bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.