In the beginning, the name CONRY belonged only to the person it described. Generations later however, it became hereditary and was passed down from a father to his children to become their family name. Variants are names with the same meaning, but spelled differently. Like most names, CONRY has undergone some change since it originated and has also been spelled CONROY. Some names are so unique to the area or country in which they originated that they never became surnames in other nations. The name CONRY is among these and no foreign equivalents have been found. The most recent official records released by the Government show that today there are less than 5000 people named CONRY in the nation, and it's the 8415th or less most populous name.

O'CONROY, CONRY, O'MAOLCONAIRE, MAC CONRAOI CONRAI, M'MULCONRY, CONERY, CONRAHY The names of CONRY and CONROY have been so often taken on by other families and mistranslated by others that it is often difficult to determine their origin. At the turn of the last century official records show CONRY families using the names and spellings of CONARY, CONRAH, CONREE, CUNREE, CORY, MULCONRY, and KING. The name CONRY was less distorted with CONNERY, MULCONRY, and CONROY being used interchangeable with that name. More properly the name stems from O'CONRAI of eastern Galway/Roscommon areas, and from MAC CONRAOI of the barony of Moycullen in the west of Galway. The most noted are of O'MAOLCOONAIRE. They were centered in the parish of Clooncraff near Strokestown in Roscommon and commonly spelled the name as CONRY. They served as poets to the chieftans of the area and are easily found in the records there. Keating's work cites MAC CONROY thusly: "MAC CONROY possesses in peace, Gno Mor of the numerous harbors." MAC CONROY was chief of Gno Mor which lay upon the western banks of Lough Corrib, between that lake and Galway Bay, in the barony of Moycullen, County Galway. O'Hart gives the O'MAOLCONRYs as ancient chiefs in Teffia or Westmeath. When they crossed the Shannon River in the 10th century they received lands from the O'Connors, Kings of Connaught. They are given here in the barony of the Roscommon, County Roscommon, as hereditary historians and bards. In 1846 the head of that family was then living inn Berkshire, England, under the name of Sir John CONROY.

Father Florence Conry OFM
Daniel Conry, Sr.