Khoury (Arabic: خوري, Greek: Χούρι or Ḫūrī), also transliterated as Khouri, is a Levantine surname that is found among Christians in the Middle East. The term Khoury means "priest" in Levantine Arabic. It derives from the Latin word curia, or may come from the French curé meaning parish Priest, from Medieval Latin curatus "one responsible for the care (of souls)," from Latin curatus, past participle of curare "to take care of".

Although most popular amongst the population in Lebanon, the name can also be found within Christian communities in Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. 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.^[1] The Maronite Church, which is in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, allows married men to become priests.

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, Melkite Catholic and Syriac Orthodox) 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. In the Eastern Christian Churches, "Khoury" or "El-Khoury" means Corepiscopos, which is an honorary rank above a priest.

Due to the Lebanese diaspora, which started in the late 19th century, the name has acquired different variants in different countries and is also uncommonly spelled as El Khouri, El Khoury, Elcure, Elkhori, Elkouri, Kouri, Couri, Koury, Coury, Kourie, Koory, Koorey, Kuri, Khuri, Khury, Kury, Xouri, Curi, Cury, Coorey, Courey, Korey, Kory, Corey, Chory, Correy and in Latin America as Xuri, Kure, Cure, Correa, Juri, Jury, Cura, Jure, Eljure, Aljure and Alcuri.

People

References