Cayce History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Cayce is an Anglo-Saxon name. The name was originally given to a person who makes boxes, chests or receptacles. The surname Cayce is derived from the Old Norman French word casse, which means case. Thus, Cayce is a metonymic type of occupational surname; it is derived from the principal object associated with the occupation. 1

The following interesting quote was found by our researchers: "A family in Devonshire thus designated account for it by a tradition that, about two hundred years since, a foundling was laid at the door of a certain gentleman, to whom popular scandal attributed its paternity; the gentleman denied the allegation, but from motives of humanity had the infant taken care of, and, from the circumstance of its having been enclosed in a packing-case, imposed upon the poor foundling this curious appellation. The French case, from Latin casa, a mean house, cottage, or hut, is, however, a more likely etymon." 2

Early Origins of the Cayce family

The surname Cayce was first found in Norfolk at Testerton where "for more than two centuries [the parish has been] the property of the Case family, whose mansion of Testerton House, a handsome modern residence, is beautifully situated on the estate." 3

"There was a family of Case in Swaffham [Norfolk] 200 years ago, and the name is still in the town; the rector of Erpingham in 1628 bore this name." 4

One sources notes that the name could have been "derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Cassandra.' And following this premise, the following entries were found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Albric filius, Cassandre, Cambridgeshire; Ralph filius Cassandre, Cambridgeshire; and Cassandre (without surname), Huntingdonshire. (Bardsely)

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed both first and last names: Johannes Case; Willelmus Casson; and Cassander Danyll. 5

Early History of the Cayce family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cayce research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1564, 1568, 1572, 1586, 1588, 1598, 1600, 1660, 1680, 1682 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Cayce History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cayce Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Cayce has appeared include Case, Casse and others.

Early Notables of the Cayce family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Case (1598-1682), an English Presbyterian clergyman, Member of the Westminster Assembly, one of the strongest advocates of theocracy, and sympathizer with the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy. 6John Case (d. 1600), was a writer on Aristotle, born at Woodstock, and was a chorister at New College and Christ Church, Oxford. He became a Scholar of St. John's College in 1564, and that he took the degree of B.A. in 1568, and that of M.A. in 1572. He subsequently...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cayce Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cayce family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Cayce arrived in North America very early: Richard Case who settled in Virginia in 1649; with his brother Robert; Thomas Case arrived in Pennsylvania in 1685; with Joseph; Jane Case settled in Virginia in 1679.

Contemporary Notables of the name Cayce (post 1700) +

Marc Cayce (b. 1966), American film writer and director
Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), American Christian mystic who answered questions while claiming to be in a trance, once nicknamed "The Sleeping Prophet"
Cayce LaFon Pentecost, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1944 7

The Cayce Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Distantia jungit
Motto Translation: It joins things that were apart.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html