Khouri

Khouri or Khoury (Arabic: خوري, Greek: Χούρι or Ḫūrī), is a Levantine surname of Latin origin that is common to Christians in the Near East. The term Khoury means "priest" in Levantine Arabic, and derives from the Latin word curia.

The last name is the most popular and the most common name amongst the Christian population in Lebanon.

Since the late 19th century, the name has acquired different variants among the Lebanese diaspora and is also commonly spelled: Coury, Kouri, Couri, Koury, Kourie, Koory, Koorey, Kuri, Khuri, Khury, Kury, Xouri, Curi, Cury, Coorey, Courey, Korey, Kory, Corey, Chory, Correy, El Khouri, El Khoury, Elkhori, Elkouri, Xuri, Kure, Cure, Correa, Juri, Jury, Cura, Jure, Eljure, Elcure, Aljure Alcuri, Xouri, Xuri, Χούρι, Χούρη, Ελ Χούρι, Ελ Χούρη, and Xури.

The name can also be found within Christian communities in Israel, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan.

The name is often given as a last name to a new priest or minister, replacing the old one if there already was one, and it is given 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.