STACEY
Stacey is an English surname that has been in use since at least the late thirteenth century. It is found throughout the British Isles and in several other English‑speaking countries.
The surname is traditionally linked to the medieval given name Stace, a short form of Eustace. The name Eustace is of Greek origin, derived from Eustakhios, meaning “fruitful” or “productive”. Pet forms of the name, such as Stace, were frequently used as the basis for surnames, giving rise to the spelling Stacey and its variants Stacy, Stacye and Stace.
Another explanation for the origin of the name is the Old English word stæcce, meaning “a post” or “a stake”. This interpretation suggests that the surname may have originally described an individual whose occupation involved erecting posts or stakes, or who lived near a notable stake or boundary marker.
Early documentary evidence of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Devonshire in 1273, during the reign of King Edward I, who reigned from 1272-1307. Other early records include Roger Stace in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1279. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, parish registers record baptisms and marriages involving individuals with the surname: for example, the christening of William Stacy on 29 December 1545 at St Benet Fink and the marriage of William Stacey to Margaret Yeatman on 16 May 1608 at St Antholin’s, Budge Row. An emigrant named William Stacy is recorded in 1678 on a ticket of passage in Barbados for a ship bound for Boston.
Derivations from the Greek name Anastasius, meaning “resurrection” or “one who will be reborn”, are also occasionally cited. This route suggests that the surname might have been adopted from the pet form Stace or the feminine form Stacia, especially in contexts influenced by the cult of Saint Anastasia. While this origin is less commonly accepted than the Eustace derivation, it remains part of the documented etymological discussion.
The surname Stacey retains a number of spelling variants, including Stacey, Stacy, Stacee, Staci, Stacie, Stacye and Stasey. Surname databases frequently list these forms as either orthographic variations or as distinct surnames that share a common root.
In terms of geographical distribution, Stacey is most prevalent in the North East of England, particularly within Yorkshire and Cleveland. The name is also found in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the United Kingdom as a whole, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other English‑speaking regions. According to recent statistics the surname ranks 837th in commonality in the United States and 801st in Canada. In Wales it remains one of the less common surnames, whereas in England it is more frequent in the North East.
Overall, the surname Stacey demonstrates the typical pattern of English patronymic surnames derived from personal names of Greek origin, and shows evidence of both patronymic and occupational origins through its alternate etymological explanations.
Typical given names associated with the Stacey surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Julie
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Stacey in...
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There are approximately 13,755 people named Stacey in the UK. That makes it the 649th most common surname in Britain. Around 211 in a million people in Britain are named Stacey.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Stacey
- Jeremy Stacey - Drummer
- Mark Stacey - Television personality
- Jack Stacey - Football player
- Alan Stacey - Racecar driver (1933 to 1960)
- Ralph D. Stacey - Academician
- Terry Stacey - American cinematographer
- Nicolas Stacey - Sprinter, priest of the Church of England and social activist (1927 to 2017)
- Francis Stacey - Cricketer (1830 to 1885)
- Charles Stacey - Cricketer (1878 to 1)
- Valerie Stacey, Lady Stacey - Scottish judge
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.