It may be presumed
that the majority of Traceys originate from Ireland.
In the 1860s, there were approximately 1200 families in Ireland, and in the 1911
census there were approximately 4100 individuals. In the census of 1841 for
England, of the 814 Traceys, 15% were born in
Ireland. By 1871, of the 1869 Traceys, 26% were born
in Ireland. In 1841, of the 74 Traceys in Scotland,
54% were born in Ireland. From a review of the Ancestry.com records for the US
1880 Federal Census, of the 14354 Traceys, 5519 (41%)
had a father born in Ireland and 1172 (8%) had a father born in England.
In the distribution
of surnames in Great Britain in 1881, the majority of Traceys
lived all along the west coast, with clusters in London. The
exception being ‘Tracy’ which had clusters on the east coast around Norwich. http://gbnames.publicprofiler.org/
The following is a
rough guide to the number and distribution of names:
|
|
Ireland |
Great
Britain |
USA |
Australia |
|||
|
|
1860s
Families |
1911
Census |
1881
Census |
Current |
1880
Census |
Current |
Current |
|
Tracey |
346 (28%) |
1215 (29%) |
1898 (68%) |
4087 (72%) |
2563 (18%) |
8046 (21%) |
1238 (58%) |
|
Tracy |
787 (64%)* |
394 (9%) |
826 (30%) |
556 (10%) |
11693 (81%) |
29316 (75%) |
335 (16%) |
|
Treacey |
3 (0%) |
171 (4%) |
16 (1%) |
|
7 (0%) |
|
|
|
Treacy |
89 (7%) |
2349 (57%) |
60 (2%) |
1043 (18%) |
145 (1%) |
1443 (4%) |
541 (26%) |
The most common
occurrence of the names, per part of the population, are:
Tracey: Ireland, Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand, USA, Argentina, Spain,
Denmark, Sweden...
Tracy: USA, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Sweden, India,
Spain, Germany...
Treacey: Ireland, UK, Argentina, USA.
Treacy: Ireland, Australia, UK, New Zealand,
Canada, USA, Spain, Argentina, Netherlands, France...
The spelling of the name
may be linked to the time of emigration. The early standardised
spelling is Tracy, which was adopted by the leading English family, although
they also used other variations. In
Ireland, the spelling of the name appears to be
inter-changeable and different variations can be found within a family or even
for an individual. When tracing ancestors all spelling of the name should be
checked. Usually, the spelling Treacy is particular
to Ireland. It appears to have been first adopted by Protestant families and
became increasingly popular and the most numerous in Ireland in the second part
of the 19th century with the rise of Irish nationalism. Treacey
is also a predominately Irish spelling.
* This number is probably artificially high due to the
preference of compilers for this standardised spelling. In the Slater
Commercial directory of 1846, the following occurrences of spelling were found:
Tracey 16 (22%), Tracy 37 (50%), Treacey 1 (1%), Treacy 20 (27%).
It often comes as a surprise to learn that
most contemporary North Americans, especially in the southern states, who think
of themselves as "Irish" are, in fact,
Protestant, not Catholic. Commentators generally agree that these Protestant
Irish-Americans are descended mainly from the Irish who settled in the United
States prior to the Famine (1850’s). As such, religion may also be an
indication of time of emigration. It has been stated that the earliest
emigrants were Catholics, possibly fleeing from Cromwell:
“In the Great Swamp
Fight [southern Rhode Island] in King Philip's War in 1675, five Connecticut
Irishmen are on record as having won distinction by their gallant conduct, and
as receiving as the reward of their services, generous grants of land. The
names of these brave men deserve to be perpetuated. They were the sturdy
pioneers in this land of a race that has ever been its defenders; and as the
records of the infant nation are emblazoned with the brave deeds of Erin's
sons, so will the annals of the mighty giant in the future be enriched with
their brilliant and valorous achievements. Our heroes of the Great Swamp Fight
were James Murphy, Daniel Tracy, Edward Larkin, James Welch, and John Roach
[given land in Norwalk town, Conn].”
Byrne, Wm et al (1899) History of the Catholic
Church in the New England states. Boston.
Thomas Hamilton Murray. The Irish Soldiers in King Philip's war, who served under the
"Great Commanders" 1675-6.. The Rosary
Magazine, March 1896.
Ref:
Name Distribution http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/
Name Distribution http://www.publicprofiler.org/worldnames/Main.aspx
1841 1851 1861 1871 British
Census http://www.traceyclann.com/files/1841%201851%201861%201871%201881%201891%201901%20British%20Census.htm
Michael P. Carroll. How the Irish Became Protestant
in America. Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation,
Vol. 16, No. 1 (Winter, 2006), pp. 25-54
This is
obviously a fraction of the emigrant ships and will be updated as more
information is compiled.
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Last update: 05
November 2014