Khouri

Khoury (,  or ), 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 Israel, 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. 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

A−H
 Adam Kury, bassist for American rock band Candlebox
 Albert Eli Coury, known as Al Coury (1934–2013), Lebanese American record company executive
 Amin Khoury, founder of B/E Aerospace
 Ana Khouri (born 1981), Brazilian jewelry designer and sculptor
 Augusto Cury, Lebanese Brazilian neuroscientist 
 Bechara El Khoury, first post-independence President of Lebanon
 Callie Khouri, Lebanese American Academy Award winner for writing the film Thelma & Louise
 Carlos Cure, Lebanese Colombian businessman
 Clara Khoury, Israeli actress
 Donald Kouri, American physicist
 Elias James Corey, Lebanese American organic chemist
 Elias Khoury, Lebanese novelist, journalist, and academic
 Elias Khoury (lawyer), Israeli lawyer
 Elissar Zakaria Khoury, known as Elissa (Lebanese singer), Lebanese singer
 Emile Kuri, Lebanese Mexican film director
 Fadlo R. Khuri, Lebanese American medical doctor and university administrator
 Faris al-Khoury, Syrian politician, former Prime Minister of Syria
 Fred Coury, drummer for American glam metal band Cinderella
 Fuad Khuri, Lebanese anthropologist
 George Khoury, multiple people
 Giselle Khoury, Lebanese journalist 
 Gui Khury, Brazilian skateboarder
 Herbert Khaury, known as Tiny Tim (musician) (1932–1996), American musician
 Huguette Khoury, known as Huguette Caland, French Lebanese painter
 Humberto Curi, an Argentine-born Olympic boxer who competed in the middleweight class in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam

I–Z
 Joanne Chory, Lebanese American molecular biologist and geneticist
 Joelle Khoury, Lebanese pianist, jazz and contemporary classical music composer
 Jowy Khoury, Lebanese actress
 Joyce El-Khoury, Lebanese-Canadian operatic soprano
 Karyn Khoury, American award-winning perfumer
 Katheryn Curi, American racing cyclist
 Ken Khouri, Lebanese Jamaican record company owner
 Makram Khoury, Israeli actor
 Mario El-Khoury, Lebanese-Swiss engineer and business executive
 Marwan Khoury, Lebanese singer, writer and composer
 Maurice J Koury, textile businessman and philanthropist
 Michael Khouri, American politician
 Muin J. Khoury, American geneticist and epidemiologist
 Pablo Kuri-Morales, Lebanese Mexican world health expert in pandemics
 Paul Khoury, Australian television personality and leading TV Host in the poker arena
 Philip S. Khoury, American historian
 Philip Khuri Hitti, Historian and professor at Harvard University
 Pilar Khoury (born 1994), Lebanese footballer
 Rami George Khouri, Palestinian-Jordanian American journalist and editor 
 Raymond Khoury, Lebanese screenwriter and novelist
 Said Khoury, Palestinian-Lebanese businessman
 Sari Ibrahim Khoury, Palestinian abstract visual artist
 Sylvia Khoury, American writer and playwright 
 Theodore Khoury, Lebanese-born German Catholic theologian
 Yusuf Al-Khuri, ancient translator and mathematician
 Walter Hugo Khouri, Brazilian film director and producer
 Zahi Khouri, Palestinian-American businessman

References

Arabic-language surnames