Hello from an actual Nedry

[JNedry]

Hi!

I found your site doing surname research and I was impressed with your article about Dennis Nedry - specifically the surname Nedry. But I have a little more information for you. The article said:

“ It is widely believed that the name Nedry is simply an anagram of the English word “nerdy” and was an invention by Michael Crichton, but it does occur in real life as an extremely rare surname found mostly in the Midwestern United States. The earliest known use of Nedry as a surname occurred in Ohio in approximately 1840…”

I actually wrote to Michael Crichton not too long after the release of the first book. I told him I was curious about the use of the name Nedry as it’s a very unusual name and only goes back about five or six generations (It was Nethery, but was changed over time). Surprisingly, he replied. He said he thought it was an interesting name and he once worked with someone in Boston with that name (and their personality matched Dennis Nedry’s). I think the anagram was just a happy accident.

And, it’s a minor detail, but we’ve traced the Nedry name back to its first occurrence in the late 1700s. It’s well-documented before 1840 in Ohio (my 3rd great grandfather), but even so, it was a fun article to read! Well done!

Thanks!
Jon Nedry

[Troodon_formosus]

Thank you for this! I've gone in and updated the article (congrats on becoming a consultant!) Some of these characters' surnames are practically unknown, and finding information about them can be a wild goose chase--it's refreshing to have the geese chase us, so to speak!

[TyrannosaurTJ]

Welcome to the site and thanks for the information!