Macey

Recorded in several forms as shown below, this ancient surname is of pre 10th century Old French origins. Introduced into England at the Norman Conquest of 1066, the name has two possible origins. Firstly, it may derive from the male given name Masse, a form of Matthew, which itself derives from the Hebrew Matityahu, meaning 'A gift of God'. Mathiu and Maci (without surname), are both recorded in the famous Domesday Book of England in 1086, whilst Alan Macy is noted in the Hundred Rolls of Suffolk in 1275. Secondly it may be locational from any of the various places in Northern France such as Macey in La Manche, Massy in Seine-Inferieure, and Marcy also in La Manche. Locational surnames were developed when former inhabitants of a place moved to another area, and were best identified by the name of their birthplace. The surname is recorded as Macey, Macy, Maycey, Mascey, Massey, Massie, and Massy. Early examples of the surname recording taken from surviving rolls and registers include Hugo Mascy in the Curia Regis Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1221, whilst on December 10th 1581, Grace, the daughter of James Macey, was christened at St. Michael Cornhill, in the ancient city of London, whilst John, the son of John Macy, was christened on May 16th 1627, at St. Margaret's Westminster. A coat of arms granted to the family has the blazon of a blue field, charged with a silver chevron between two gold mullets pierced, and in chief a gold gauntlet supporting a mace. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ralph Masci. This was dated 1086, in the Domesday Book of Essex, during the reign of King William 1st, known as "The Conqueror", 1066 - 1087. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.