Khouri
| Khoury | |
|---|---|
| Family name | |
| Meaning | Priest |
Khoury (also transliterated as "Khouri" (Arabic: خوري, "Χούρι"(Greek) Ḫūrī) is an Arabic surname that is unique to Christians in the Middle East. The term Khoury means "priest" in Arabic. It derives from the Latin word curia.
Although most popular amongst the population in Lebanon, where is the 2nd most common surname [1], the name can also be found within Christian communities in Syria, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan [2] It is often given as a last name to a new priest or minister, replacing the old one and to the children of the married priest and their descendants. In the Maronite Church, eventhough in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, priests are allowed to marry [3]
It is common for a family to keep the Khoury surname for generations past the life of the priest. Catholic and Orthodox clergy (particularly Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, and Melkite Catholic) are the largest numbers of people with this name; all four Rites having a married priesthood according to Catholic and Orthodox norms. Khoury/Khouri is uncommon as a given name. For Syrian Orthodox, "Khoury" or "Al-Khoury" means Corepiscopos, which is an honorary rank above a priest.
The name is also uncommonly spelled as Elcure, Elkhori, Kouri, Couri, Koury, Koory, Koorey, Kuri, Kury, Curi, Cury, Coorey, Courey, Korey, Corey, Correy and in Latin America as Kure, Cure, Juri, Jure, or Alcuri.
People
- Amin Khoury, founder of B/E Aerospace, the world’s leading manufacturer of aircraft interior products
- Fred Koury, founder of Smart Business Magazine
- Bechara El Khoury, first post-independence President of Lebanon
- Callie Khouri, Lebansese American Academy Award winner for writing the film Thelma & Louise
- Carlos Cure, Lebanese Colombian Chairman of Bavaria, S.A., the biggest and most important brewery of Colombia
- Augusto Cury, Lebanese Brazilian neuroscientist and best-selling writer, developed the Multifocal Theory
- Clara Khoury, Israeli actress
- Elias James Corey, Lebanese American organic chemist, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1990
- Elias Khoury (lawyer), Israeli lawyer
- Elissa (singer), Lebanese singer, World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist in 2010, full name Elissar Zakaria Khoury
- Emile Kuri, Lebanese Mexican set decorator, won two Academy Awards and was nominated for six more in the category Best Art Direction
- Faris al-Khoury, Prime Minister of Syria
- George Khoury (author), Writer in the field of comic books
- Giselle Khoury, Lebanese journalist and talk show host on BBC Arabic
- Ken Khouri, Lebanese Jamaican pioneer record company owner and one of the first producers of reggae
- Krystelle Khoury, Miss Lebanon Emigrant USA 2011
- Makram Khoury, Israeli actor, youngest artist to win the Israel Prize
- Marwan Khoury, Lebanese singer, writer and composer
- Paul Khoury, Australian television personality and leading TV Host in the poker arena
- Philip S. Khoury, Dean of the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences from 1991-2006
- Raymond Khoury, Lebanese screenwriter and novelist, author of the 2006 New York Times Bestseller The Last Templar
- Said Khoury, Palestinian-Lebanese founder of Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), one of the largest construction companies in the world
- Theodore Khoury, Lebanese-born German Catholic theologian
- Walter Hugo Khouri, Brazilian film director and producer of the film Men and Woman
- Yara Khoury, Miss Lebanon 2011
- Zahi Khouri, Palestinian-American businessman, established Palestine National Beverage Company and PADICO, largest investment firm in Palestine
- ↑ "Top Most Common Surnames in Lebanon".
- ↑ "Khoury Surname Meaning, Origins & Distribution". forebears.io. Retrieved 2016-02-15.
- ↑ "Maronite Chruch Patriarchate".