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Kersey History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Kersey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Kersey

What does the name Kersey mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Kersey comes from the family having resided in Kersey, a parish in Suffolk. The place-name Kersey is derived from the Old English elements cærse, which means watercress, and eg, the old English word for island. It was recorded as Cæresige c. 995, and as Careseia in the Domesday Book, 1 compiled in 1086. The name as a total means "island where the watercress grows." The surname is derived from the place-name. In the early Middle Ages, local surnames were often proceeded by the word de or atte, which meant of and at, respectively. This custom was brought to England by the Normans after they conquered the Saxon Nobility at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The surname as a whole, de Kersey, meant "of Kersey." Eventually, the use of de and atte declined, as Old English and Old Norman fused into Old English over the next few centuries.

Early Origins of the Kersey family

The surname Kersey was first found in Suffolk at Kersey, a village and a civil parish in the Babergh district which today includes the hamlets of Kersey Tye, Kersey Upland, Wicker Street Green, and William's Green. Originally part of the hundred of Cosford, it comprised about 1,465 acres and an Augustine priory was founded there at an early period dedicated to St. Mary and St. Anthony; at the Dissolution it was granted to King's College, Cambridge. 2 Kersey is the name of a coarse woollen cloth having derived its name from kersey yarn and ultimately from the village of Kersey.

Early History of the Kersey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kersey research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1272, 1616, 1690 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Kersey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kersey Spelling Variations

Kersey has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Kersey, Kercey, Keresey, Kearsey and others.

Early Notables of the Kersey family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

John Kersey the elder (1616-1690?), English mathematician, as well as a textbook writer

Kersey Ranking

In the United States, the name Kersey is the 4,852^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Kersey migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Kerseys to arrive on North American shores:

Kersey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nicholas Kersey, who landed in Maryland in 1664 4
Thomas Kersey, who settled in the Somers Islands in 1673
James Kersey, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 4

Kersey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Kersey, who landed in Virginia in 1706 4
John Kersey, who settled in Philadelphia in 1731
Thomas Kersey, who settled in Maryland in 1775

Kersey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Kersey, who arrived in Texas in 1835 4

Kersey migration to Australia +

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

Kersey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Alfred Kersey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Flora" in 1851 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Kersey (post 1700) +

Jesse "Jess" Kersey (1941-2017), American NBA and ABA basketball referee, inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2012
Thomas Joseph Kersey (1847-1888), United States Navy sailor awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions aboard the U.S.S. Plymouth on 26 July 1876
Clyde R. Kersey, American member of the Indiana House of Representatives
Tyrone Garfield Kersey (1949-2005), American keyboardist, songwriter, producer and arranger
Jerome Kersey (b. 1962), American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association
Sharyn Kersey, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 2008 6
Charles Kersey, American politician, Representative from California 5th District, 1996, 2000 6
John Kersey the Elder (1616-1690), English mathematician, as well as a textbook writer
John Kersey the Younger (b. 1720), English philologist and lexicographer
Graham James Kersey (1971-1997), English first class cricketer
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kersey family +

HMS Royal Oak

Henry Arthur Kersey (1905-1939), British Petty Officer with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 7

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY FLORA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851LadyFlora.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html