| ![Show Contents]() Meece History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The history of the Meece family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Staffordshire. The surname Meece can be traced to Cold Meece, a village near Swynnerton or the Meece River in Staffordshire. Likely the original bearer lived by the River Meece. [1] The River Meese, in Shropshire, England may be another starting point for this family. Early Origins of the Meece familyThe surname Meece was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat. The name is associated with the village of Mill Meece, which was recorded in the Domesday Book, [2] a census of England taken by King William in the year 1086. Robert Miee was registered in Normandy in 1198. In England, the first recorded ancestor was Richard del Mes (also recorded as Richard Mey,) who was registered in Staffordshire in 1276. [1] Early History of the Meece familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meece research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1608, 1642 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Meece History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Meece Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Meese, Meece, Mees, Mey and others. Early Notables of the Meece familyMore information is included under the topic Early Meece Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Meece RankingIn the United States, the name Meece is the 11,340th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]  Migration of the Meece family to Ireland
Some of the Meece family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Meece familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Meece or a variant listed above were: William Mees settled in Virginia in 1659; Henry Meese settled in Virginia in 1682; George Mees settled in Pennsylvania in 1761; Thomas settled in 1804.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Meece (post 1700) | + |
- Roger Allen Meece (b. 1949), American diplomat, United States Ambassador to Malawi (2000–2003), United States Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2004-2007)
- David Meece (b. 1952), American Christian contemporary musician
- John William Meece (1843-1911), American politician, Member of the Mississippi Legislature in 1911
- C. Patrick Meece, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Texas 31st District, 2002 [4]
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
|
England
Ireland
