The Origins of the Guthrie Surname

The Guthrie name is unique because it doesn’t have a single point of origin; rather, it emerged from several distinct linguistic and geographic roots:

• The “Windy Place” (Scottish Habitational): The most common origin is the Barony of Guthrie in Angus, Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic word gaothair, meaning a “windy place,” combined with the locative suffix -ach.
• “Son of Uchtre” (Scottish Patronymic): Some lines derive from the Scottish Gaelic Mag Uchtre, meaning “son of Uchtre.” This was an ancient personal name likely meaning “high” or “mighty.”
• The “Prince” (Irish Anglicization): In Ireland (specifically Clare and Antrim), Guthrie was adopted as an English equivalent for the Gaelic Ó Fhlaithimh (descendant of the Prince). This occurred because Fhlaithimh sounds similar to the Gaelic word for mud (laithigh), which was erroneously linked to “gutters” and then “Guthrie.”
• The Fisherman’s Tale (Folk Etymology): A popular legend claims an early Scottish king gave lands to a fisherman who “gut three” fish for him when he was hungry. While charming, historians consider this a “back-story” created to explain the name.

Surname Variations by Category

1. Phonetic & Spelling Variations (English-Speaking)

These versions appeared primarily due to low literacy rates and scribes writing the name as it sounded.

• Gutherie / Guthery: Common in early American and Scottish records.
• Guthrey / Guthree: Often found in Southern U.S. colonial records (GFG1A and GFG4).
• Guthry: A very old Scottish spelling.
• Guthary: Specifically associated with certain branches of GFG11.
• Guttery / Guttrey: Common in the Southeastern U.S.; often linked to GFG2A-Branch K.

2. International Variations

As Guthrie descendants migrated to non-English speaking countries, the name was adapted to local languages.

• Guthraeus (Sweden): Used by descendants of Walter Guthrie, a merchant from Montrose who settled in Stockholm.
• Guttry / De Guttry (Poland): Used by descendants of George “Jerzy” Guthrie, a Scottish soldier who was granted Polish nobility.
• De la Gauterie / Lagauterie (France): Potential French variations found in historical military records.
• Gyttri (Norway): A localized variation used by branches in Scandinavia.
• Gouthro (Canada): A variation found frequently in Nova Scotia, likely an Americanized or French-influenced spelling.

3. Linguistically Distant (Related by DNA or Mistranslation)

• Lahiff (Ireland): A phonetic variation of the Irish Ó Fhlaithimh mentioned above.
• Guthridge / Gutteridge / Gutridge (England): While these names have separate English origins (meaning “Good-rich”), some Guthrie families in Virginia (GFG1A) adopted these spellings interchangeably.

Summary Chart: Guthrie Surname Variations

Tips for Researchers

If you are searching for ancestors, check all of these variations in census and tax records. Because many Guthries were illiterate until the mid-19th century, their name was at the mercy of the clerk’s ear. If your DNA matches a “Guttery” but your paper trail says “Guthrie,” you are likely looking at the same family branch.

Sites like Ancestry will allow the use of a wildcard ( * ) in the search tool. Entering GUT* will pull up results for all surnames beginning with those three letters.

Scotland’s People also allows several options including the use of wildcards, phonetic matching, and my favorite ‘name begins with’ options for their search tool.