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Show ContentsLacey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The surname Lacey comes from the place name Lassi, in the department of Calvados in Normandy.

Early Origins of the Lacey family

The surname Lacey was first found in Yorkshire, where Ibert de Lacy, son of Walter de Lacy (Lacie) was granted the castle and town of Pontefract and 164 lordships by William the Conqueror. Walter de Lacie (d. 1085) was one of the commanders that William the Conqueror "sent to Wales to subjugate the principality; and being victorious, he acquired large possessions there, in addition to those already obtained, as his portion of the spoil of Hastings. " 1

"His lands had been assigned to him in the West, where he held territory - to what exact extent is not known - under William Fitz Osbern, the first Norman Earl of Hereford; and upon the rebellion of William's son, Earl Roger de Britolio, the whole vast fief was conferred upon him by the Conqueror. He waged war successfully with the Welsh, defeating three of their princes with great slaughter in Brecon; and was killed in 1085 by a fall from a ladder while inspecting a new church he had founded at Hereford. " 2

Roger de Laci who also accompanied the Conqueror was rewarded with the tenure in capite of 116 lordships. It is presumed that the two were related but the relationship is unknown. 3

Rishton in Yorkshire was the place where a manor was held by Edmund de Lacye, who died 42nd Henry III. 4

There were at least two listings of the name in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Robertus Lascey; and Isabella Lassy. 5

Stanlow-House in the union of Great Boughton, Higher division of the hundred of Wirrall in Cheshire was an ancient family seat to one branch of the family. "An abbey of Cistercian monks was founded here in 1178, by John Lacy, constable of Chester; but on account of the inundations of the Mersey in 1296, it was removed to Whalley, in Lancashire." 4

Early History of the Lacey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lacey research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1172, 1185, 1215, 1298, 1584, 1610, 1615, 1671, 1673 and 1681 are included under the topic Early Lacey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lacey Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Lacey, Lacy, Lassey, Lassy, de Lacey, de Lacy and others.

Early Notables of the Lacey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • William Lacey (1584-1673) was and English Jesuit whose real name was Wolfe. William Lacy (1610-1671) was a Royalist divine and a descendant of the noble family of Lacy

Lacey World Ranking

In the United States, the name Lacey is the 1,682nd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 6 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Lacey is ranked the 542nd most popular surname with an estimated 85 people with that name. 7 And in Australia, the name Lacey is the 773rd popular surname with an estimated 5,050 people with that name. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Lacey as 655th with 9,993 people. 9

United States Lacey migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Lacey or a variant listed above:

Lacey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Lawrence Lacey, who settled in New England between 1620 and 1650
  • Elia Lacey, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 10
  • John Lacey, who settled in Virginia in 1677
Lacey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Lacey, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 10
  • Benjamin Lacey, who was sent to America as a bonded passenger in 1719
  • James Lacey, who was sent to Virginia in 1721 as a convict
  • Elizabeth Lacey with her husband James and son and daughter settled in Georgia in 1737
  • John Lacey, who in 1739 was sent as a convict to Virginia
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lacey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edward Lacey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1854 10
  • Jeremiah Lacey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1858 10
  • Alfred Charlton Lacey, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1866 10

Canada Lacey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lacey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Matthew Lacey, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
Lacey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • George Lacey, who settled in Ontario in 1819
  • Mrs. Margaret Lacey, aged 30 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Sisters" departing 22nd April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 20th June 1847 but she died on board 11

Australia Lacey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lacey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss. Mary Lacey, Irish convict who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • James Lacey, English convict from Durham, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Mr. John Lacey, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for life, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Thomas Lacey, English convict from Leicester, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • John Lacey, English convict from Shropshire, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Lacey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lacey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Captain Lacey, Hawaiian settler travelling from Honolulu via Tahiti aboard the ship "General Worth" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd March 1852 17
  • Mrs. Lacey, Hawaiian settler travelling from Honolulu via Tahiti aboard the ship "General Worth" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd March 1852 17
  • Miss Annie Lacey, (b. 1838), aged 25, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st May 1863 18
  • William Lacey, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rooparell" in 1874
  • Robert Lacey, aged 45, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Golden Sea" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lacey (post 1700) +

  • Frederick Bernard Lacey (1920-2017), American jurist, U.S. Attorney (1969–1971) and judge for the District Court for the District of New Jersey (1971–1986)
  • Dan Lacey (1960-2022), American painter born in New York City, a self-described "Painter of Pancakes," known for his paintings Kanye West, Stephen Colbert, Michael Jackson, Prince and many more
  • Samuel "Sam" Lacey (1948-2014), American NBA basketball player who played from 1970 to 1983
  • Major-General Julius Kahn Lacey (1904-1992), American Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Far East Air Forces, Tokyo, Japan (1955) 19
  • Jesse Thomas Lacey (b. 1978), American musician
  • Catherine Lacey (1904-1979), English actress who made her film debut in 1938 in the Alfred Hitchcock film The Lady Vanishes
  • Michael Pearse Lacey (1916-2014), Canadian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto (1979-1993)
  • Andrew William Lacey (1887-1946), Australian politician, Member of the Australian House of Representatives and Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of South Australia
  • Squadron Leader James Harry Lacey DFM & Bar (1917-1989), one of the top scoring Royal Air Force fighter pilots of the Second World War
  • Ingrid Lacey (b. 1958), British actress
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. William Lacey, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 20
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Bert W. Lacey (d. 1912), aged 21, English Assistant Saloon Steward from Salisbury, Wiltshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 21

Suggested Readings for the name Lacey +

  • The Thomas Lacy III (also Lacey) Family by Hubert Wesley Lacey.
  1. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  8. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  9. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  10. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  11. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 83)
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  13. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
  15. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1820 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1820
  16. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
  17. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Julius Lacey. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Lacey/Julius_Kahn/USA.html
  20. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  21. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
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