NameCensus.

UK surname

Tracy

An occupational surname referring to a person who harvests or processes thatch for roofing.

In the 1881 census there were 846 people recorded with the Tracy surname, ranking it #4,458 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 623, ranked #8,461, down from #4,458 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Mary, London parishes and Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waverley, Crathes and Torphins and Mid Argyll.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tracy is 846 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 26.4%.

1881 census count

846

Ranked #4,458

Modern count

623

2016, ranked #8,461

Peak year

1881

846 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tracy had 846 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,458 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 623 in 2016, ranked #8,461.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 846 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Tracy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tracy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tracy 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 564 #4,499
1861 historical 721 #3,771
1881 historical 846 #4,458
1891 historical 732 #5,422
1901 historical 696 #6,314
1911 historical 659 #6,373
1997 modern 590 #8,250
1998 modern 606 #8,329
1999 modern 612 #8,336
2000 modern 611 #8,322
2001 modern 585 #8,438
2002 modern 613 #8,331
2003 modern 579 #8,530
2004 modern 577 #8,569
2005 modern 568 #8,601
2006 modern 572 #8,587
2007 modern 562 #8,750
2008 modern 565 #8,780
2009 modern 593 #8,672
2010 modern 605 #8,738
2011 modern 582 #8,894
2012 modern 622 #8,354
2013 modern 609 #8,636
2014 modern 603 #8,769
2015 modern 602 #8,712
2016 modern 623 #8,461

Geography

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Where Tracys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Mary, London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waverley, Crathes and Torphins, Mid Argyll, Bromley and Harborough. 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 St Mary Pembrokeshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waverley 011 Waverley
2 Crathes and Torphins Aberdeenshire
3 Mid Argyll Argyll and Bute
4 Bromley 039 Bromley
5 Harborough 011 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tracy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tracy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tracy, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Tracy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tracy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Tracy is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Tracy is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tracy falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tracy 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 Tracy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tracy

The surname Tracy is of Norman French origin, deriving from the French town of Trassé in Normandy. It first emerged in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman families settled in various regions of the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Traci" and "Tracey". These entries likely refer to individuals who hailed from the town of Trassé or its surrounding areas.

In the 12th century, the name was often spelled as "Tracey" or "Tracye". During this period, it was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, where several notable families bore this surname.

One of the most prominent figures bearing the Tracy name was William de Tracy, a Norman knight who was one of the four assassins of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170. This event garnered significant historical attention and cemented the Tracy name in the annals of English history.

In the 13th century, the name also took on the form "Tracy" or "Tracy", reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time. One notable bearer of this variant was Henry de Tracy, who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1265 to 1267.

During the late Middle Ages, the Tracy family established themselves as landed gentry in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Devonshire. The town of Toddington in Gloucestershire was once the seat of the ancient Tracy family, and the nearby village of Tracy derived its name from them.

Other notable individuals with the surname Tracy include:

1. Ursula Tracy (c. 1555-1609), an English noblewoman and Catholic recusant. 2. Sir John Tracy (1557-1637), an English politician and landowner. 3. Robert Tracy (1655-1735), an English philosopher and Anglican priest. 4. Nathaniel Tracy (1751-1796), an American military officer who served in the Revolutionary War. 5. Benjamin Franklin Tracy (1830-1915), an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of the Navy under President Benjamin Harrison.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tracy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tracy 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 158 Tracys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 158 1.65x
Middlesex 129 1.60x
Lanarkshire 57 2.19x
Suffolk 53 5.40x
Essex 41 2.58x
Staffordshire 36 1.32x
Kent 30 1.09x
Yorkshire 30 0.38x
Surrey 29 0.74x
Warwickshire 27 1.33x
Cheshire 23 1.29x
Hampshire 23 1.39x
Lincolnshire 23 1.79x
Gloucestershire 16 1.01x
Pembrokeshire 16 6.25x
Worcestershire 16 1.52x
Durham 13 0.54x
Renfrewshire 13 2.08x
Derbyshire 11 0.87x
Devon 11 0.66x
Dorset 8 1.51x
Sussex 8 0.59x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 6.00x
Midlothian 7 0.65x
Montgomeryshire 7 3.79x
Glamorgan 6 0.43x
Hertfordshire 4 0.72x
Anglesey 3 2.10x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.28x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.92x
Isle of Man 2 1.34x
Shropshire 2 0.29x
Stirlingshire 2 0.67x
Angus 1 0.13x
Banffshire 1 0.60x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.20x
Cornwall 1 0.11x
Denbighshire 1 0.33x
Northamptonshire 1 0.13x
Northumberland 1 0.08x
Perthshire 1 0.28x
Radnorshire 1 1.54x
Rutland 1 1.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 26 Tracys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.80x.

Place Total Index
Kensington London 26 5.80x
Barony 22 3.34x
Liverpool 22 3.79x
Manchester 22 5.12x
Oldham 17 5.51x
Blackburn 16 6.29x
Shoreditch London 16 4.58x
Beccles 15 94.94x
Govan 14 2.17x
Stanway 14 501.79x
Aston 13 2.32x
Chorlton On Medlock 13 8.56x
Everton 12 3.94x
Pembroke St Mary 12 36.39x
St Marylebone London 11 2.56x
Glasgow 10 2.16x
Hackney London 10 2.21x
Ipswich St Margaret 10 30.03x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 4.31x
Ipswich St Mathew 9 32.73x
Kings Norton 9 9.54x
Newington 9 3.02x
Willenhall 9 17.67x
Wolverhampton 9 4.30x
Algarkirk 8 559.44x
Colchester St Botolph 8 59.13x
Cookley 8 1379.31x
Stockport 8 8.74x
Tonbridge 8 8.07x
Bradford 7 3.62x
Eastwood 7 18.20x
Islington London 7 0.90x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 14.54x
North Stoke 7 1627.91x
Whittington 7 40.11x
Wigan 7 5.24x
Birmingham 6 0.89x
Chester St Mary On Hill 6 39.32x
Colchester St Giles 6 38.17x
Colchester St Peter 6 94.34x
Dorking 6 22.76x
Fordington 6 52.68x
Llandysilio 6 355.03x
Southampton St Mary 6 5.78x
St Giles Cripplegate 6 56.07x
Conside Knitsley 5 26.82x
Droxford 5 79.37x
Formby 5 46.17x
Kirkbean 5 222.22x
Knowle 5 119.62x
Lowestoft 5 10.79x
Mile End Old Town 5 3.93x
Moss Side 5 9.94x
Oldbury 5 9.66x
Portsea 5 1.54x
St George Hanover 5 4.75x
Swansea Town 5 4.35x
Westbourne 5 73.96x
Wolstanton 5 6.05x
Baston 4 187.79x
Bowling 4 5.06x
Chipping Campden 4 77.82x
East Stonehouse 4 12.11x
Edinburgh Tron Church 4 79.05x
Frindsbury 4 38.61x
Halifax 4 3.41x
Hawling 4 930.23x
Maryhill 4 7.84x
Mickleton 4 192.31x
Ratcliffe London 4 8.99x
South Stoneham 4 11.17x
St Luke London 4 3.10x
St Pancras London 4 0.62x
Stockton On Tees 4 3.46x
Westminster St James 4 4.83x
Whitechapel London 4 5.04x
Widnes 4 5.80x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 4.17x
Shettleston 3 12.86x
West Derby 3 1.07x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 48
William 35
James 29
Thomas 27
Henry 19
George 15
Joseph 14
Patrick 12
Robert 11
Charles 10
Alfred 7
Edward 7
Frederick 7
Michael 7
Andrew 6
Francis 6
Peter 6
Walter 6
Philip 5
Arthur 4
Frank 3
Martin 3
Benjamin 2
Cornelius 2
Dennis 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Hugh 2
Matthew 2
Nathaniel 2
Patk. 2
Richard 2
Simon 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Ambrose 1
Bartholomew 1
Courtenay 1
Daniel 1
David 1
F. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.T. 1
Fredrick 1
H.Rt. 1
Harold 1
Lawrence 1
Lord 1
Mathew 1
Meynell 1

FAQ

Tracy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tracy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 846 people were recorded with the Tracy surname. That placed it at #4,458 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tracy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 623 in 2016. That gives Tracy a modern rank of #8,461.

What does the Tracy surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who harvests or processes thatch for roofing.

What does the Tracy map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tracy 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.