Massie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Massie

What does the name Massie mean?

Massie is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Massie family lived in Cheshire. Their name, however, is a reference to their place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Macey in Manche, Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Massie family

The surname Massie was first found in Cheshire where the one of the first records of the name was "Hugh Massie, who married Agnes, daughter and heir of Nicholas Bold, of Coddington. Their son William purchased the manor of Coddington in the eighteenth of Henry VI." 2

A branch of the family held a family seat at Backford since early times. "During a great part of the 13th and 14th centuries, the manor [of Backford] was held by the Masseys, of Timperley; about the year 1580 it was sold to Thomas Aldersey." 3

Birkenhead in Cheshire was another ancient family seat. "A priory for sixteen Benedictine monks was founded [in Birkenhead] about 1150, in honour of St. Mary and St. James, by Hamon de Massey, third Baron of Dunham-Massey." 3

Little is known of Hamon de Massey other than he held manors of Agden, Baguley, Bowdon, Dunham, Hale and Little Bollington. He is thought to have born in La Ferté-Macé, in the Orne department in north-western France.

Early History of the Massie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Massie research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1602, 1619, 1646, 1651, 1674, 1691, 1715, 1719, 1757, 1758, 1763, 1764, 1784, 1797, 1799, 1804, 1822, 1839, 1869 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Massie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Massie Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Massey, Massie, Macy, Macey and others.

Early Notables of the Massie family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edward Massey (c. 1619-1674), fifth son of John Massey of Coddington, an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1646 and 1674, he fought for the Parliamentary cause the First and Second English Civil Wars before changing allegiance and fighting for King Charles II during Third Civil War.Eyre Massey, 1st Baron Clarina (1719-1804), the Irish general, born on 24 May 1719, was fifth son of Colonel Hugh Massey of Duntryleague, co. Limerick, and his wife Elizabeth, fourth daughter of the Right Hon. George Evans, father of George...
Another 193 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Massie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Massie Ranking

In the United States, the name Massie is the 3,123^rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Massie family to Ireland

Some of the Massie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Massie migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Massie or a variant listed above:

Massie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andrew Massie, who settled in New York, NY 1775
Andrew Massie, aged 32, who arrived in New York in 1775 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Massie (post 1700) +

Kim Massie (1956-2020), American blues and soul singer who performed mostly in St. Louis, Missouri
Suzanne Massie, American author
Nathaniel Massie (1763-1813), frontier surveyor in the Ohio Country
Elizabeth Massie, American author
Brandon Massie (b. 1987), American soccer player
Robert Kinloch "Bob" Massie (b. 1956), American Episcopal priest, politician, author, and social activist
Robert Kinloch Massie III (b. 1929), American historian, writer, winner of a Pulitzer Prize, and a Rhodes Scholar
Grace L. Massie, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico, 1932 6
Glen Massie, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 2008 6
G. Edmond Massie, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Virginia State House of Delegates, 1950 6
... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html