NameCensus.

UK surname

Tracey

An Irish occupational surname derived from the French word "traceur," meaning a path-maker or hunter.

In the 1881 census there were 1,899 people recorded with the Tracey surname, ranking it #2,293 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,270, ranked #1,590, up from #2,293 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Corby, Shropshire and Lennoxtown.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tracey is 4,471 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 124.9%.

1881 census count

1,899

Ranked #2,293

Modern count

4,270

2016, ranked #1,590

Peak year

2010

4,471 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tracey had 1,899 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,293 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,270 in 2016, ranked #1,590.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,404 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Tracey surname distribution map

The map shows where the Tracey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Tracey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Tracey over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 730 #3,598
1861 historical 742 #3,675
1881 historical 1,899 #2,293
1891 historical 1,881 #2,446
1901 historical 2,404 #2,260
1911 historical 2,289 #2,215
1997 modern 4,082 #1,587
1998 modern 4,233 #1,591
1999 modern 4,235 #1,607
2000 modern 4,221 #1,594
2001 modern 4,095 #1,610
2002 modern 4,217 #1,587
2003 modern 4,105 #1,599
2004 modern 4,124 #1,594
2005 modern 4,097 #1,588
2006 modern 4,035 #1,608
2007 modern 4,107 #1,598
2008 modern 4,160 #1,593
2009 modern 4,288 #1,587
2010 modern 4,471 #1,558
2011 modern 4,356 #1,571
2012 modern 4,214 #1,593
2013 modern 4,293 #1,599
2014 modern 4,313 #1,598
2015 modern 4,278 #1,593
2016 modern 4,270 #1,590

Geography

Back to top

Where Traceys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Corby, Shropshire, Lennoxtown, Maldon and South Lakeland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Corby 006 Corby
2 Shropshire 014 Shropshire
3 Lennoxtown East Dunbartonshire
4 Maldon 008 Maldon
5 South Lakeland 014 South Lakeland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Tracey

These lists show first names that appear often with the Tracey surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Tracey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tracey, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Tracey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Tracey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tracey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tracey is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tracey falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tracey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Tracey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tracey

The surname Tracey is of English origin, derived from the Old French place name "Tracy" or "Traci." This place name is thought to come from the Latin word "trajectus," meaning "crossing" or "ford." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a river crossing or ford.

The earliest recorded instances of the Tracey surname date back to the 11th century in Normandy, France. The name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the Tracey family was among the Norman nobility who accompanied William during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Tracey surname was Henry de Tracy, who lived in the late 11th century. He was a Norman nobleman and one of the four knights involved in the infamous murder of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170.

Another notable figure was William de Tracy, a 13th-century English nobleman and crusader. He participated in the Fifth and Sixth Crusades and was appointed as the Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1275.

In the 14th century, Sir John Tracey was a prominent English knight and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He served under King Edward III and was appointed as the Constable of the Tower of London in 1338.

During the 16th century, Sir John Tracey was an English judge and politician who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1594 to 1598.

In the 17th century, Sir Robert Tracey was an English soldier and politician who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was born in 1592 and died in 1669.

The Tracey surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Tracey near Awliscombe in Devon, and Tracy-sur-Mer in Normandy, France. Variations in spelling include Tracy, Tracye, and Tracye.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Tracey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tracey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 433 Traceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 433 1.97x
Middlesex 230 1.24x
Yorkshire 123 0.67x
Surrey 104 1.15x
Lanarkshire 103 1.72x
Essex 85 2.33x
Warwickshire 85 1.82x
Kent 78 1.23x
Staffordshire 69 1.10x
Gloucestershire 51 1.40x
Cheshire 47 1.15x
Hampshire 41 1.08x
Cumberland 40 2.51x
Durham 40 0.73x
Renfrewshire 36 2.51x
Worcestershire 33 1.36x
Glamorgan 31 0.96x
Devon 26 0.67x
Midlothian 19 0.77x
Lincolnshire 18 0.61x
Leicestershire 17 0.83x
Derbyshire 16 0.55x
Kirkcudbrightshire 16 5.97x
Angus 15 0.87x
Suffolk 13 0.58x
Northumberland 11 0.40x
Perthshire 11 1.32x
Sussex 11 0.35x
Ayrshire 9 0.65x
Dorset 9 0.74x
Fife 8 0.73x
Shropshire 8 0.50x
Dunbartonshire 7 1.41x
Royal Navy 7 3.17x
Flintshire 6 1.21x
Norfolk 6 0.21x
Monmouthshire 5 0.37x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.85x
Somerset 5 0.17x
Cornwall 4 0.19x
Hertfordshire 4 0.31x
Radnorshire 3 2.01x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.26x
Stirlingshire 2 0.29x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.24x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Roxburghshire 1 0.30x
Westmorland 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 64 Traceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.80x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 64 4.80x
Islington London 43 2.40x
Birmingham 38 2.44x
Everton 37 5.28x
Glasgow 35 3.29x
Salford 33 5.11x
Manchester 31 3.14x
Ashton Under Lyne 29 6.04x
Bermondsey 22 3.99x
Huddersfield 22 8.23x
Widnes 20 12.62x
Govan 19 1.28x
St Marylebone London 19 1.92x
Stoke Upon Trent 19 2.87x
Swansea Town 18 6.81x
Burnham 17 125.93x
Old Monkland 17 7.15x
West Ham 17 2.11x
Wolstanton 17 8.96x
Barton Upon Irwell 16 9.67x
Princethorpe 16 812.18x
Balmaghie 15 255.10x
Chesterfield 14 12.88x
Arlecdon 13 30.67x
Chelsea London 13 2.33x
Greenwich 13 4.41x
Mearns 13 51.71x
Newington 13 1.90x
Oldham 13 1.83x
Aston 12 0.93x
Broughton In Salford 12 5.97x
Chadderton 12 11.17x
Cleator 12 18.09x
Deptford St Paul 12 2.46x
Hampstead London 12 4.16x
Kensington London 12 1.17x
Leeds 12 1.16x
St Pancras London 12 0.81x
Clerkenwell London 11 2.52x
Crieff 11 35.60x
Dundee 11 1.72x
Enfield 11 9.06x
Portsea 11 1.48x
St George Hanover 11 4.55x
West Derby 11 1.71x
Camberwell 10 0.85x
Carluke 10 18.39x
Chipping Campden 10 84.60x
Eastwood 10 11.32x
Ebrington 10 290.70x
Horfield 10 27.37x
Shoreditch London 10 1.25x
Barony 9 0.59x
Blackburn 9 1.54x
Colchester St Giles 9 24.92x
Dudley 9 3.06x
East Greenock 9 6.64x
Garston 9 13.88x
Horton In Bradford 9 3.14x
Preston 9 1.53x
Walsall Foreign 9 2.79x
Ardrossan 8 16.68x
Bromley London 8 1.96x
Canterbury St Mary 8 18.87x
Goole 8 26.02x
Hambledon 8 83.77x
Hulme 8 1.74x
Mitcham 8 14.03x
Monks Coppenhall 8 5.19x
Pebworth 8 182.65x
Shrewsbury St Julian 8 20.22x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 2.15x
St Budeaux 8 66.67x
Toxteth Park 8 1.08x
Westleigh 8 16.04x
Barnsley 7 3.70x
Crosscanonby 7 13.28x
Ombersley 7 51.97x
Spotland 7 2.87x
West Bergholt 7 102.49x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Tracey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 150
Elizabeth 55
Sarah 48
Ellen 34
Ann 32
Catherine 29
Margaret 29
Alice 27
Jane 20
Eliza 18
Emily 17
Annie 14
Bridget 14
Maria 12
Kate 11
Ada 10
Florence 10
Louisa 10
Agnes 9
Anne 9
Emma 9
Julia 9
Charlotte 8
Susan 8
Hannah 7
Harriet 6
Lucy 6
Martha 6
Isabella 5
Margt. 5
Winifred 5
Amy 4
Caroline 4
Edith 4
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Gertrude 3
Jessie 3
Johanna 3
Margret 3
Maud 3
Rose 3
Susanna 3
Beatrice 2
Cathrine 2
Celia 2
Josephine 2
Lydia 2
M. 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Tracey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 137
William 88
James 85
Thomas 65
George 40
Patrick 36
Michael 33
Joseph 31
Charles 27
Robert 20
Henry 19
Edward 17
Alfred 16
Richard 12
Arthur 11
Frederick 11
Walter 11
Peter 9
Stephen 9
Francis 8
Harry 8
Martin 8
Herbert 7
Samuel 7
Daniel 6
Albert 5
Dennis 5
Wm. 5
Edwd. 4
Thos. 4
Bartholomew 3
Cornelius 3
Denis 3
Frank 3
Laurence 3
Alexander 2
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Edwin 2
Enoch 2
Geo. 2
Hubert 2
Hugh 2
Jeremiah 2
Lewis 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Morris 2
Philip 2
W. 2

FAQ

Tracey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tracey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,899 people were recorded with the Tracey surname. That placed it at #2,293 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tracey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,270 in 2016. That gives Tracey a modern rank of #1,590.

What does the Tracey surname mean?

An Irish occupational surname derived from the French word "traceur," meaning a path-maker or hunter.

What does the Tracey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tracey bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.