The Ivory surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,201 people carried this name — #4,893 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 41,000 people counted. That is up 8% from 6,645 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Ivory surname

The surname is habitational from Ivry in Normandy, and in some cases patronymic from a diminutive of Ivor. The modern given name is associated with ivory.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Ivory» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Ivery’ — the first of the origins he gives.

His entry covers Ivory and Ivery.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 423 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 9 births for the Ivory name in 1890.

Most were registered in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. One of them was indexed under another spelling of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Dublin.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 8
Ulster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Ivory was found among the farmers of Hertfordshire: 20 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Hertfordshire 20

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Ivory in American newspapers,
1875–1921.

Newspaper page from Rock Island Argus carrying the name Ivory
Rock Island Argus 1898-01-27
Newspaper page from The Silver State carrying the name Ivory
The Silver State 1875-12-02
Newspaper page from The Ogden Standard-examiner carrying the name Ivory
The Ogden Standard-examiner 1921-03-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 748 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Ivory in Australian newspapers,
1810s–1990s.

29,013 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ivory. The most, 7,108, date from the 1870s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 10,917
Queensland 6,636
Victoria 6,269
Tasmania 1,889
Western Australia 1,646
South Australia 1,606
ACT (Canberra) 21
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ivory.

Who carried it

People named Ivory,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Barbara Ivory
    Barbara Ivory d. 1748
  • John Ivory
    John Ivory 1655–1695
  • Anne Talbot
    Anne Talbot 1665–1720
  • William Ivory d. 1801 · architect
  • Mike Ivory d. 2017 · audio engineer
  • Mary Ivory d. 1697

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Ivory,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States457 records

457 records of the Ivory name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 153
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 113
  • Other U.S. records 191
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Michael Thomas Ivory

    Born 1949; from Memphis, Tennessee. U.S. Marine Corps, wireman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Memphis National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Kenneth W. Ivory

    Born 1923 in Michigan. Enlisted 1941 at Fort Custer; construction worker from Wayne County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Great Lakes National Cemetery, Michigan.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Ivory

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Aurania from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 30; accountant. From Edinburgh, Scotland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 457 records for Ivory in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia525 records

525 records of the Ivory name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 205
  • Tasmanian Names Index 148
  • Other Australian records 172
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Robert Ivory

    Died 1929 in Hospital, Latrobe, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1929.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Robert George Ivory

    Born 1867 in Westbury, Tasmania. Married 1889 in Sheffield, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Michael Ivory

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Norfolk, arriving 1832; certificate of freedom 1839.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 525 records for Ivory in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

New Zealand29 records

29 records of the Ivory name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 14
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 11
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward William Ivory

    Died 1926, aged 35; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elspith Ella Ivory

    Died 1992, aged 85; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Noel Joseph Ivory

    Born 1922, died 1995; buried at Oxford Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 29 records for Ivory in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom11 records

11 records of the Ivory name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 5
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Harding Ivory

    Buried in 1853 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 55.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Ivory

    Royal Berkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charles Ivory

    Buried in 1851 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 39.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 11 records for Ivory in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada7 records

7 records of the Ivory name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • Other Canadian records 2
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record John Ivory

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the L'Abondence, bound for Port Roseway, aged 35.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edwin Thomas Ivory

    Died 1936; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Denis Ivory

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 7 records for Ivory in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Ivory.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Ivory is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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