Show ContentsPosey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Posey

What does the name Posey mean?

The Posey surname is a habitational name, taken on from Pusey in present-day Oxfordshire, but formerly in Wiltshire. The place name comes from the Old English "peose", or "piosu" meaning "pea" "island," collectively meaning "island, or dry ground in marsh, where peas grow." 1

Early Origins of the Posey family

The surname Posey was first found in Oxfordshire at Pusey, a village and civil parish. The earliest record of the village was in the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Pesei. 2 Another reference claims "the parish derives its name from the family of Pusey, to whom the manor was granted by Canute the Great; the place was in his time in the possession of Charles Pusey, Esq., who had recovered it in chancery before Lord Chancellor Jeffreys." 3

Early History of the Posey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Posey research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1594, 1650, 1665, 1710 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Posey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Posey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pusey, Powsey, Pusie and others.

Early Notables of the Posey family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Posey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Posey Ranking

In the United States, the name Posey is the 1,536th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 4


Posey migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Posey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Francis Posey, who arrived in Maryland in 1640 5
Posey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Euphrosyhe C. Posey, aged 26, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Plattsburg" from Brest, France 6
  • Inez Posey, aged 29, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Canada" from Marseilles, France 6
  • James Posey, aged 37, arrived in New York, N.Y. in 1921 aboard the ship "Zacapa" from Tela, Honduras 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Posey (post 1700) +

  • Sandy Posey (1944-2024), born Sandra Lou Posey, an American popular singer, known for singles including her 1966 recording of Martha Sharp's compositions "Born a Woman" and "Single Girl"
  • Kailia Posey (2006-2022), American beauty pageant contestant and reality television show contestant
  • DeVier Posey (b. 1990), American professional NFL football wide receiver for the Houston Texans
  • Carnot Posey (1818-1863), Mississippi planter and lawyer, Confederate general in the American Civil War
  • Sam Posey (b. 1944), retired American racecar driver and sports broadcast journalist
  • Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III (b. 1987), American Major League Baseball catcher and first baseman for the San Francisco Giants
  • John Adams Posey (1889-1963), Indiana lawyer and politician
  • John Posey (b. 1957), American actor
  • James Mikely Mantell Posey (b. 1977), American professional basketball player
  • Francis Blackburn Posey (1848-1915), Indiana lawyer and politician
  • ... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

USS Arizona
  • Mr. Ernest M. Posey, American Machinist's Mate First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 7


Suggested Readings for the name Posey +

  • The Posey Family in America by Lloyd Franklin Posey.
  • The History of the Posey Family in Europe and the United States by R.H. Posey.

  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  7. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


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