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Irish surname

Grace: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Grás · Woulfe: French 'le gras,' i.e. the fat

Woulfe (1923) lists Grace among the forms of Grás, from the French 'le gras' (the fat), and calls it the name of an ancient and distinguished Kilkenny family. He says the Graces were certainly among the earliest of the Anglo-Norman settlers in Ireland. In 1890, 36 Grace birth entries were registered in Ireland.

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Coat of arms associated with the Grace surname
Irish formGrás
MeaningWoulfe: French 'le gras,' i.e. the fat
CountiesKilkenny, Dublin
Other spellings2

Origin of the Grace name

Woulfe: from French 'le gras,' i.e. the fat; 'the name of an ancient and distinguished Kilkenny family, said to be descended from Raymond le Gros, one of the companions of Strongbow.' 'The Graces were certainly among the earliest of the Anglo-Norman settlers in Ireland.' The head of the family had the title of Baron of Courtstown.[1]

  1. 1646Colonel Richard Grace serves Charles I in England until the surrender of Oxford.[3]
  2. 1652The English government sets a reward of £300 on Richard Grace's head.[3]
  3. 189036 Grace birth entries in Ireland: Leinster 21, Munster 15.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. KilkennyWoulfe: the Grace family were a Kilkenny family; Matheson 1890: found principally in Dublin and Kilkenny.[1][2]
Co. DublinMatheson 1890: counties in which principally found, 'Dublin and Kilkenny'.[2]

Notable people named Grace

Richard Grace17th centuryColonel; younger son of Robert Grace, Baron of Courtstown; of a Kilkenny family descended, Webb says, from Raymond le Gros.[3]

Other spellings

Graas · Grase[1]

The Grace coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Grace 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.

Grace crest gifts

Clan Grace Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapAH30 Classic Cap - Grace Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Grace Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Grace Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap HA31 Grace Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Grace Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45

Grace surname: questions

What does the surname Grace mean?

[1]

Is Grace an Irish or a Norman name?

Woulfe says the Graces were certainly among the earliest of the Anglo-Norman settlers in Ireland, and the name is that of an ancient and distinguished Kilkenny family said to be descended from Raymond le Gros, one of the companions of Strongbow.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Grace name found?

Woulfe places the family in Kilkenny. In 1890, Matheson gives 36 Grace birth entries in Ireland (Leinster 21, Munster 15), with the counties in which principally found given as Dublin and Kilkenny.[1][2]

Who was the Baron of Courtstown?

Woulfe says the head of the Grace family had the title of Baron of Courtstown. Webb names Robert Grace as Baron of Courtstown and father of Colonel Richard Grace.[1][3]

Sources

  1. Grás — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/g/gras.php
  2. Grace — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/grace.php
  3. Grace, Richard, Colonel — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ColonelRichardGrace.php

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