Khouri

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, the name can also be found within Christian communities in Syria, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan ^[1] 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, even though in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, as well as, in the Eastern Orthodox Churches married men are allowed 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, 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, Chory, Correy and in Latin America as Kure, Cure, Juri, Jure, or Alcuri.

People

• Amin Khoury, founder of B/E Aerospace
• 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 Brewery, 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 (Lebanese singer), Lebanese singer, full name Elissar Zakaria Khoury
• Emile Kuri, Lebanese Mexican Academy Award winner for 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
• Joelle Khoury, Lebanese pianist, jazz and contemporary classical music composer
• Joyce El-Khoury, Lebanese-Canadian operatic soprano
• Ken Khouri, Lebanese Jamaican pioneer record company owner and one of the first producers of reggae
• Makram Khoury, Israeli actor
• 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 to 2006
• Raymond Khoury, Lebanese screenwriter and novelist, author of the 2006 New York Times bestseller The Last Templar
• Said Khoury, Palestinian-Lebanese billionaire founder of Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC)
• Theodore Khoury, Lebanese-born German Catholic theologian
• Walter Hugo Khouri, Brazilian film director and producer of the film Men and Woman
• Yara Khoury-Mikhael, Miss Lebanon 2011
• Zahi Khouri, Palestinian-American businessman, established Palestine National Beverage Company and PADICO

References