Landry

Landry is the transferred use of an French patronymic surname derived from the ancient Germanic personal name “Land-rīc” which meant “powerful land”. One of the earliest records of this name in existence is that of an early 5th century French saint, Landry of Seés (northwestern France). In the 7th century there was another French saint Landry of Paris who built one of the first major hospitals in Paris during a period of great famine. Lastly there was the 11th century St. Landry of Savoy who served as a parish priest of two French villages near the Italian border. When Landry admonished some of the town’s sinners for their errant ways he was thrown into the Arc River and drowned. According to legend, the church bells spontaneously pealed on their own and a processional cross appeared miraculously advancing toward the village gates as if being carried by an invisible bearer. The townspeople followed the cross to the river where they were led to the priest’s body. St. Landry’s parishioners fetched him from the water, returned to the church and gave the martyred priest a proper burial. Oddly enough Landry is no longer popular in France (either as a surname or a personal name). Rather the French surname became more common in places like Canada (Quebec region) and the United States (Louisiana or Cajun regions). Landry is also sometimes considered the transferred use of an English surname with Anglo-Saxon origins and derived from an occupational name (i.e., a medieval job to launder or wash textiles). Landry is really not considered a given name, although it recently came into usage for little boys in America, most likely influenced by legendary football coach Tom Landry.