Grace History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  France 
  Ireland 


The surname Grace is generally thought to derive from the Old French word "grace," which means "charm" or "pleasantness." In some instances, it may have evolved from the Old French word "gros," which means "great," or "large." In either instance, the name was a nickname which evolved into a surname.

Early Origins of the Grace family

The surname Grace was first found in Normandy where "Raymond Fitz-William de Carew, surnamed ' Crassus,' 'Le Gros,' and ' Le Gras,' accompanied Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, in his celebrated expedition into Ireland in 1169, and he may be regarded 'as the Achilles of the enterprise.' He married Basilia de Clare, Strongbow's sister, with whom he acquired an enormous estate in Killarney, subsequently known as 'the Cantred of Grace's country;' for 'his cognomen Gros, given him on account of his prowess, gradually became first Gras, and then by English pronunciation Grace.' Many of the English families of this name deduce their descent from Ireland." 1

"The Irish family of Grace appears to be a branch of the Fitzgeralds. For the Baronets Grace, see Gammon." 2

"The Norman family of Grace has been prominent in Irish history since the first le Gros came to Ireland with Strongbow." 3

Early History of the Grace family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grace research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1559, 1620, 1652, 1689 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Grace History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grace Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Grace included: Grace, Grase and others.

Early Notables of the Grace family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Grace World Ranking

In the United States, the name Grace is the 1,167th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 4 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Grace is ranked the 641st most popular surname with an estimated 69 people with that name. 5 And in Australia, the name Grace is the 537th popular surname with an estimated 7,232 people with that name. 6 New Zealand ranks Grace as 453rd with 1,525 people. 7


Grace migration to the United States +

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Grace:

Grace Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Grace Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Grace Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Grace migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Grace Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Grace Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Grace migration to Australia +

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

Grace Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Grace Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Grace 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:

Grace Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Grace migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18
Grace Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
Grace Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Grace (post 1700) +


The Grace 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: En Grace affie
Motto Translation: On Grace, depend.


Suggested Readings for the name Grace +
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