Tressey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Tressey

What does the name Tressey mean?

The oldest instances of the Tressey 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 Tressey 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 Tressey family

The surname Tressey 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 Tressey family

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

Tressey 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 Tressey 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 Tressey family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tressey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tressey family

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 Tressey: Catherine Tracey, a bonded passenger, who arrived in Maryland in 1733; David Tracey, who came to Nova Scotia in 1750; Dorothy Tracey, who came to Maryland in 1749.