Lavery, also spelled Lowry, Lowrie, Lory, and Lowery, is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Labhradha, meaning the "descendants of Labhradha".
The Ó Labhradha descend from Labhradh, who was the father of Etru, chief of the Monagh, a people belonging to the Irish over-kingdom of Ulaid. At the time of Etru's death in 1056, the sept was located in the area of Magh Rath (present-day Moira, County Down). It is in this area as well as the adjoining part of County Antrim where the surname is still most common. A strong concentration of them can also be found in the Montiaghs district of County Armagh, where many moved to during the Plantation of Ulster.
Due to the number of Laverys in these areas they had to adopt monikers to distinguish between them, as such there were three distinct branches: the Baun-Laverys, from the Irish word bán, meaning "white"; the Roe-Laverys, from the Irish word rua, meaning "red"; and the Trin-Laverys, from the Irish word tréan, meaning "strong". The Trin-Laverys often mistranslated their name into English as Armstrong. An example of the adoption of Armstrong is Dr. John Armstrong who was born Trenlavery.
Some of those who are Lowrys may descend from the Mac Labharaigh of Galloway, Scotland. Many of the Lowrys and Lowries in Ulster descend likewise from Scotland, where their names are variants of Laurie, a diminutive of Lawrence, common in Dumfriesshire. Notable amongst these Lowrys are the Earls of Belmore in County Fermanagh, who descend from the Lauries of Maxwelltown, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland.
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