Contents [hide]

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

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Sources

Tracey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Tracey

What does the name Tracey mean?

The oldest instances of the Tracey 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 Tracey 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 Tracey family

The surname Tracey 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 Tracey family

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

Tracey Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes spelled names as they sounded; therefore, single person, could have his name spelt many different ways during their lifetime. While investigating the origins of the name Tracey, many spelling variations were encountered, including: Tracey, Tracy, Treacy, Trassey, Trasey, O'Tracy, O'Trasey, Tracye and many more.

Early Notables of the Tracey family

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

Tracey Ranking

In the United States, the name Tracey is the 4,790^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Tracey migration to the United States +

Ireland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Tracey:

Tracey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sarah Tracey, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 2
Stephen Tracey, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 2
Thomas Tracey, who arrived in Salem Massachusetts in 1630
Robert Tracey, who settled in Virginia in 1653

Tracey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Catherine Tracey, a bonded passenger, who arrived in Maryland in 1733
Dorothy Tracey, who settled in Maryland in 1749
Patrick Tracey, who arrived in Newburyport, Massachusetts in 1773
James Tracey, who arrived in New York, NY in 1778

Tracey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hugh Tracey, who arrived in America in 1811 2
James Tracey, aged 45, who arrived in New York in 1812 2
Thomas Tracey, aged 30, who landed in New York in 1812 2
John Tracey, aged 29, who landed in Virginia in 1813 2
William Tracey, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tracey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tracey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

David Tracey, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Margaret Tracey, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mary Tracey, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Thomas Tracey, who was on record in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1767 3
Mr. Timothy Tracey U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 4

Tracey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Daniel Tracey, who was on record at St. John's, Newfoundland in 1805 3
Margaret Tracey, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland
Michael Tracey, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Charlotte" from Cork, Ireland
Miss. Ann Tracey who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Kenny" departing from the port of Waterford, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in 1847 5
Mrs. Ann Tracey, aged 40 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing from the port of Sligo, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tracey migration to Australia +

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

Tracey Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Miss Ann Tracey, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6

Tracey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Tracey, (b. 1800), aged 19, English farmer who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1843 7
William Tracey, a hatter, who arrived in Van Diemenâ€™s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Arthur Tracey, a smith, who arrived in Van Diemenâ€™s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. James Tracey, (b. 1819), aged 21, Irish gentleman's servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for life for wounding with intent, transported aboard the "British Sovereign" on 16th December 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Miss Mary Tracey, Welsh convict who was convicted in Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 11th February 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tracey 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:

Tracey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Bernard Tracey, (b. 1840), aged 22, Irish farm labourer from County Tyrone, travelling aboard the ship "Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th September 1862 10
Mr. Edward Tracey, (b. 1842), aged 20, Irish farm labourer from County Tyrone, travelling aboard the ship "Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th September 1862 10
Mr. Edward Tracey, (b. 1826), aged 37, British shoemaker travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 10
Mrs. Lucy Tracey, (b. 1828), aged 35, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 10
Francis Tracey a farmer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir George Grey" in 1864
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tracey (post 1700) +

Doreen Isabelle Tracey (1943-2018), English-born, American actress who appeared on the original Mickey Mouse Club television show from 1955 to 1958
Sean Patrick Tracey (b. 1980), American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher
Patricia Ann Tracey (b. 1950), the first American woman to be promoted to the rank of vice admiral
Charles Tracey (1847-1905), U.S. Representative from New York
John Joseph Tracey (1933-1978), American football linebacker
Spencer Bonaventure Tracey (1900-1967), American theatrical and film actor ranked ninth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time by the American Film Institute 11
Katherine Tracey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1940 12
John Plank Tracey (1836-1910), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Missouri 7th District, 1895-97; Member of Missouri State House of Representatives, 1903-04 12
John B. Tracey, American politician, Mayor of Taunton, Massachusetts, 1906-07 12
Jill Tracey, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1972 12
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Tracey family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Percy Tracey, British Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 13

SS Atlantic

George Tracey, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

Sources +

"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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
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. 58)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/british-sovereign
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Spencer Tracey. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Spencer Tracey. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Tracy
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html