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Irish surname

Treacy: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Treasaigh · 'descendant of Treasach' (fighter)

Woulfe (1923) gives Treacy, Tracy and Tracey as anglicised forms of Ó Treasaigh, 'descendant of Treasach' (fighter), the name of a Leinster family, anciently lords of Ui Bairrche, and of a Connacht family in south-east Galway. In 1890 Treacy births were found chiefly in Tipperary and Galway, and Tracey and Tracy chiefly in Dublin.

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Coat of arms associated with the Treacy surname
Irish formÓ Treasaigh
Meaning'descendant of Treasach' (fighter)
CountiesTipperary, Galway, Dublin
Other spellings4

Origin of the Treacy name

Woulfe names two Ó Treasaigh families: (1) a Leinster family, anciently lords of Ui Bairrche, a district embracing the barony of Slievemargy, in Leix, long dispersed through Leinster and Munster; (2) a Connacht family of the same stock as the O'Maddens, seated in south-east Co. Galway, also long dispersed.[1]

  1. 189084 births registered: Treacy 37, Tracey 31, Tracy 16.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. TipperaryA principal county for Treacy births in 1890.[2]
Co. GalwayConnacht Ó Treasaigh family seated in the south-east; Treacy births chiefly here in 1890.[1][2]
Co. DublinThe Tracey and Tracy spellings were found chiefly in Dublin in 1890.[2]

Other spellings

Tracy · Tracey · Trassy · Tressy[1][2]

The Treacy coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Treacy surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Treacy crest gifts

Clan Treacy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapRX25 Classic Cap - Treacy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Treacy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Treacy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap EZ34 Treacy Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Treacy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Treacy surname: questions

What does the surname Treacy mean?

Woulfe gives Treacy as a form of Ó Treasaigh, 'descendant of Treasach', glossing Treasach as 'fighter'.[1]

Are Treacy, Tracy and Tracey the same name?

Woulfe lists all three as anglicised forms of Ó Treasaigh, and Matheson counted them together in 1890: Treacy 37, Tracey 31 and Tracy 16 births.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Treacy name from?

Woulfe names a Leinster family, lords of Ui Bairrche (barony of Slievemargy, in Leix), and a Connacht family in south-east Galway; he says the name is now common in many parts of Ireland. In 1890 Treacy was found chiefly in Tipperary and Galway, Tracey and Tracy in Dublin.[1][2]

Were there Tracys in England?

Yes. The Dictionary of National Biography says William de Tracy (d. 1173), one of the murderers of Thomas Becket, belonged to a family which in the twelfth century held considerable property in Devonshire and Gloucestershire.[3]

Sources

  1. Ó Treasaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ot/o-treasaigh.php
  2. Treacy — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/treacy.php
  3. Tracy, William de — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 (Kate Norgate), Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).