Parent’s name

Carey surname meaning

A surname with Irish Ó Ciardha “descendant of Ciardha,” alongside English, Welsh, Cornish, and Norman place-name routes.

Confidence: Disputed
US frequency: Rank 614 · 53,736 people
Common variants: Carey, Cary, Carrey, O’Carey

Confidence: Disputed. More than one origin is plausible, or sources disagree. We show the conflict rather than pick a cute answer.

The short story

Carey has several distinct origins. The Irish form Ó Ciardha means “descendant of Ciardha,” a personal name often connected with dark or black, and supplies a clear patronymic route. Carey or Cary can also come from places in the English West Country, Wales, Cornwall, or France, with landscape and settlement elements that are not related to the Irish name. Carrey and O’Carey occur as historical forms. The catalog uses parent’s name for the important Irish route, with disputed confidence because geography and regional history can point elsewhere.

Also seen as: Carey, Cary, Carrey, O’Carey

Sources used

Ancestry surname meaning for Carey citing DAFN 2022 (Irish, English, Welsh, and French routes)
Wikipedia “Carey (surname)” (Ó Ciardha and regional place-name histories)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)