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Lacey History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Lacey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Lacey

What does the name Lacey mean?

Ireland already had an established system of hereditary surnames when the Strongbownians arrived. Often the two traditions blended together quite well due to some of their basic similarities, but the incoming Anglo-Norman system brought in some forms that were uncommon amongst the Irish. One of these Anglo-Norman anomalies was the prevalence of local surnames, such as Lacey. Local names were taken from the names of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. Originally, the place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname if the place name began with a vowel or was eliminated entirely. The local surnames of these Strongbownian invaders referred to places in Normandy, or more typically England, but eventually for those Anglo-Normans that remained in Ireland, the nicknames referred to places or geographical features of the island: they became true local names. The Lacey family appears to have originally lived in the settlement of Lassy in the region called Calvados in northern France. The name of this place is derived from the Gaulish personal name Lascius, which is of uncertain origin, and the local suffix -acum. The Gaelic form of the surname Lacey is de Léis. However, there is a native Irish family of County Wexford named Ó Laitheasa who anglicize their surname as Lacey. This name, which was originally Ó Flaithgheasa, is derived from the Gaelic word flaith, which means prince. 1 This was, in most cases, a nickname applied to someone with princely manners or a regal bearing.

Early Origins of the Lacey family

The surname Lacey was first found in County Limerick (Irish: Luimneach) located in Southwestern Ireland, in the province of Munster, where they had been granted lands by Strongbow after the invasion of Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the Lacey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lacey research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1298 is included under the topic Early Lacey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lacey Spelling Variations

During an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name Lacey include Lacey, Lacie, Lacy, de Lacy, Lasey, Lassey and many more.

Early Notables of the Lacey family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Hugo de Lacy of Limerick, as well as Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, who was recorded on the...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lacey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lacey World Ranking

In the United States, the name Lacey is the 1,682^nd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Lacey is ranked the 542^nd most popular surname with an estimated 85 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Lacey is the 773^rd popular surname with an estimated 5,050 people with that name. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Lacey as 655^th with 9,993 people. 5

Lacey migration to the United States +

A great number of Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name Lacey:

Lacey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lawrence Lacey, who settled in New England between 1620 and 1650
Elia Lacey, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 6
John Lacey, who settled in Virginia in 1677

Lacey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Lacey, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 6
Benjamin Lacey, who was sent to America as a bonded passenger in 1719
James Lacey, who was sent to Virginia in 1721 as a convict
Elizabeth Lacey with her husband James and son and daughter settled in Georgia in 1737
John Lacey, who in 1739 was sent as a convict to Virginia
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lacey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Edward Lacey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1854 6
Jeremiah Lacey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1858 6
Alfred Charlton Lacey, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1866 6

Lacey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lacey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Matthew Lacey, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749

Lacey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

George Lacey, who settled in Ontario in 1819
Mrs. Margaret Lacey, aged 30 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Sisters" departing 22nd April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 20th June 1847 but she died on board 7

Lacey migration to Australia +

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

Lacey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss. Mary Lacey, Irish convict who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
James Lacey, English convict from Durham, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. John Lacey, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for life, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Thomas Lacey, English convict from Leicester, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 11
John Lacey, English convict from Shropshire, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lacey 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:

Lacey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Captain Lacey, Hawaiian settler travelling from Honolulu via Tahiti aboard the ship "General Worth" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd March 1852 13
Mrs. Lacey, Hawaiian settler travelling from Honolulu via Tahiti aboard the ship "General Worth" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd March 1852 13
Miss Annie Lacey, (b. 1838), aged 25, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st May 1863 14
William Lacey, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rooparell" in 1874
Robert Lacey, aged 45, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Golden Sea" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lacey (post 1700) +

Frederick Bernard Lacey (1920-2017), American jurist, U.S. Attorney (1969–1971) and judge for the District Court for the District of New Jersey (1971–1986)
Dan Lacey (1960-2022), American painter born in New York City, a self-described "Painter of Pancakes," known for his paintings Kanye West, Stephen Colbert, Michael Jackson, Prince and many more
Samuel "Sam" Lacey (1948-2014), American NBA basketball player who played from 1970 to 1983
Major-General Julius Kahn Lacey (1904-1992), American Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Far East Air Forces, Tokyo, Japan (1955) 15
Jesse Thomas Lacey (b. 1978), American musician
Laurena Lacey (b. 1986), one of the first Irish born and raised glamour models to become known internationally
Michael Pearse Lacey (1916-2014), Canadian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto (1979-1993)
Andrew William Lacey (1887-1946), Australian politician, Member of the Australian House of Representatives and Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of South Australia
Squadron Leader James Harry Lacey DFM & Bar (1917-1989), one of the top scoring Royal Air Force fighter pilots of the Second World War
Catherine Lacey (1904-1979), English actress who made her film debut in 1938 in the Alfred Hitchcock film The Lady Vanishes
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Lacey family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. William Lacey, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 16

RMS Titanic

Mr. Bert W. Lacey (d. 1912), aged 21, English Assistant Saloon Steward from Salisbury, Wiltshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 17

The Lacey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Meritas augentur honores
Motto Translation: Honours are enhanced by deserts.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 83)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1820 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1820
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Julius Lacey. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Lacey/Julius_Kahn/USA.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html