The English surname Lowery is of patronymic origin, being one of those names based on the first name of a father. In this case the name is derived from Laurence, and is usually found in Northern England and the Scottish Lowlands. The many variants of the name include Lowrie, Lowry, Laurie, Lawry, Lawrey, Lawrie, Lory, and Lorey. There were four saints bearing the name Laurence: The first was an early Christian martyr who was roasted over a slow fire; he is now the patron of cooks, and is invoked against fire. Devotion to him became widespread throughout Medieval Europe, and the existence of three other saints of the name, St. Laurence of Brindisi, St. Laurence Justinian (of Italy), and St. Laurence O'Toole (of Ireland), bears witness to the name's popularity in the Middle Ages. The name first appears in early sources as a personal name, a diminutive of Laurence: in 1467, one Lowry Smith is recorded. Robert Lowri is mentioned in the Cumberland Subsidy Rolls of 1332; while in Scotland in 1497 the name of Gilbert Lowrie is referred to. In 1784, Hugh Laurie and Frances Storie were married in St. George's, Hanover Square, London. A famous bearer of a variant name was the celebrated artist Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976); born in Manchester, he is remembered for his industrial landscapes and seaside scenes.
BLAZON OF ARMS:
Sable a cup argent with a garland of laurel between two branches of the same, all issuing thereout proper.
Translation:
Sable (black) denotes Prudence and Mystery.
A cup signifies Ample Provision for Troops.
Laurel is an example of the heraldic practice of canting, a pun on the name.
CREST:
Two sprigs of laurel in orle proper.
MOTTO:
Virtus semper viridis.
Translation:
Virtue is always flourishing.
