Tracy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The oldest instances of the Tracy surname in Ireland come from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó Treasaigh, or "descendant of Treasach," a personal name meaning "warlike," "fierce." However, many of the surname Tracy come from Anglo-Norman roots, from the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Tracy family

The surname Tracy was first found in Devon, where they were Lords of Barnstaple, descended from a famous Norman family from Tracy near Vire in Carne in Normandy. William Tracey was a natural son of Henry I, and his descendant, Henry Tracey received from King Stephen the Barony of Barnstaple. His descendant, William Tracy, in 1170, was one of the murderers of Thomas A Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Early History of the Tracy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tracy research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1643 and 1648 are included under the topic Early Tracy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tracy Spelling Variations

A single person's name was often spelt simply as it sounded by medieval scribes and church officials. An investigation into the specific origins the name Tracy has revealed that such a practice has resulted in many spelling variations over the years. A few of its variants include: Tracey, Tracy, Treacy, Trassey, Trasey, O'Tracy, O'Trasey, Tracye and many more.

Early Notables of the Tracy family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

Tracy Ranking

In the United States, the name Tracy is the 1,082nd most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 1


Tracy migration to the United States +

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Tracy:

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

Tracy migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tracy Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Tracy migration to Australia +

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

Tracy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Tracy 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:

Tracy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Tracy (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Tracy +
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