Gracay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Gracay comes from the kingdom of Dalriada in ancient Scotland. It was a name for a person who worked as a shoemaker. The Scottish surname is derived from the Gaelic word greusaich or griasaich, which originally meant a decorator or embroiderer but later came to mean a shoemaker.

Early Origins of the Gracay family

The surname Gracay was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

The English Gracy or Grancey variant is Norman in origin as "Grancey is on the confines of Champagne and Burgundy, an gave its name to a great Burgundian family, several times Constables of the province, that ended in the fourteenth century with Eudo de Grancey. The feudal castle of Grancey, dating from this time, was only pulled down at the beginning of the last century. [(1700's)] The first trace I could find of the family in England was at Warford in Cheshire; the seat of the Grascys, Grasties, or Greestys, for many successive generations." 1

Early History of the Gracay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gracay research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1613, 1639, 1651, 1653 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gracay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gracay Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Gracay include many spelling variations. They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. They include Gracie, Gracey, Grassy, Greacey and others.

Early Notables of the Gracay family

More information is included under the topic Early Gracay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gracay family to Ireland

Some of the Gracay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 102 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gracay family

Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Gracay family emigrate to North America: three brothers and a sister, who settled in Charlestown, South Carolina, in 1767. A. Gracie settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1821; Wm. Gracie settled in New York in 1821.

Citations +

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