Tresy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Tresy

What does the name Tresy mean?

The oldest instances of the Tresy 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 Tresy 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 Tresy family

The surname Tresy 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 Tresy family

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

Tresy Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often simply spelled names as they sounded. As a result, a single person's name may have been recorded a dozen different ways during his lifetime. Spelling variations for the name Tresy include: Tracey, Tracy, Treacy, Trassey, Trasey, O'Tracy, O'Trasey, Tracye and many more.

Early Notables of the Tresy family

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

Migration of the Tresy 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 Tresy: 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.