Origins of surname TROR(E)Y
jannyped	This surname is very rare in the UK, there appear to be none in Australia and a handful in Canada & USA. Any TRORYs found in British records generally fit into one of just four Trees which so far go back to 1700s. The few TRORYs in N.America fit into these Trees as well. All of these Trees go back to Norwich in the county of Norfolk (eastern coastal region of England) circa mid 1700s. Church Records in England show the name in 1500s as being TRORA, THRORA, THRORY. I am of the opinion that there is an old connection to Norway and only recently a Norwegian ship's captain remarked "That sounds Norwegian". I have read up what I can and THORIR comes to mind. TROR(E)Y is not English. It doesn't appear in the Oxford University Press Dictionary of English Surnames which is a highly respected and very thorough book. Any comments gratefully received or perhaps somebody knows an academic person who may know??? Thank you.
jannyped	Thank you for your input on this. I still have a theory that the name "Thorir", through lack of literacy in England until 19th century, got changed to "Throra" (there are baptismal records in 1600s for this surname. Then it got changed to "Throry" (again, there are Baptismal records), then the "h" got dropped to make TRORY. Something like that anyhow. From what you say it still sounds like a feasible theory but I shall make more enquiries in Ireland too. A few TRORY turned up in USA claiming to be Irish but according to an august institution in Dublin, the name does not exist in Ireland except as Trory Parish. Very intriguing. Thank you so much for your help and very much for your excellent English. Regards from England.
hasto	Most Norwegian surnames were established about 1900. Before that common Norwegian did not use a family surname. About 1900 they took in use their patronymic surname or the name of the farm where they lived as a family surname. Still Trory might have origin in a Norwegian farm name. But it doesn't sound like that. I found no Norwegian word starting with Tror-. My guess is that the name is Keltic. There is a Trory parish in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
jannyped	Thank you! It's so good to have some information at long last from a Norwegian. Yes, I know about the Parish of Trory in Co. Fermanagh. I managed to gather that the word Trory comes from the Celtic Trotra meaning 3 fields (that's how their Parish Administration works apparently, in bundles of 3 fields.) I love the idea of a Viking connection and they did settle Dublin didn't they??? And they invaded the East coast of England!! Any further comments greatly appreciated. This whole thing has puzzled me for years.
jannyped	A further thought... English surnames began in approx 11th century and were taken from one of the following sources: a physical description of the person, their occupation, the name of the farm or area in which they lived, a description of the geography of the area where they lived. We have surnames beginning "Thor...." in England which I presume are Scandanavian in origin and which I presume came from a corruption or similar to THORIR... "man of Thor". Or at least they have some connection to the worship of Thor perhaps? Any comments from anyone? Do you have "first" names in Norway which have this Thor connection?
hasto	Yes, we have many farm names starting with Tor (or Thor) and we have man's name Tor, the female name Tora, and plenty of longer names, Torvald, Torgeir, Torhild etc. We have, as in English, the days of the week from the viking mythology. Yes, the language developes and makes changes. Old Norse "hross" = "horse" in English, "cross" in English = "kors" in modern Norwegian. "Thorir" = "Tore" or "Tor" in modern Norwegian. I don't think it could be changed to "Trory" in a Norwegian accent. Changes go for a more smooth pronunsiation, not a more complicated. If "Thorir" could be changed to "Trory" in an English accent I do not know.