Find out how popular the last name Lacy is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lacy.

Lacy, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lacy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lacy in America

Lacy is the 1559th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lacy surname appeared 23,110 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Lacy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lacy to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lacy

The surname Lacy has its roots in the Old French word "lascier" or "lacier", which means to lace or tie. It originated in Normandy, France, and was likely an occupational surname given to those who made or sold laces or ribbons.

The name first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Laci" and "Lacea". The earliest recorded instances were in Lincolnshire and Oxfordshire, where some of the first bearers of the name were landed gentry and noblemen.

One of the earliest and most prominent bearers of the Lacy surname was Ilbert de Lacy, a Norman nobleman who arrived in England with William the Conqueror. He was granted extensive lands in Yorkshire and became the Lord of Pontefract Castle.

Another notable figure was Walter de Lacy, who lived in the late 12th century and was the Lord of Meath in Ireland. He was granted lands in County Westmeath and established the town of Trim.

In the 13th century, Edmund de Lacy was a wealthy English nobleman and a member of the powerful Lacy family. He served as the High Sheriff of Yorkshire and held several other important positions.

During the 14th century, Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, was a prominent figure in English history. He was a close advisor to King Edward II and played a significant role in the events leading up to the King's deposition.

In the 15th century, John Lacy was a renowned English composer and musician who served at the court of King Henry VII. He is credited with writing some of the earliest known keyboard music in England.

The surname Lacy has also been associated with several place names, such as Lacy's Court in Buckinghamshire and Lacy Green in Cheshire, reflecting the influence and landholdings of various Lacy families throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lacy

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lacy.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lacy was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lacy has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lacy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lacy, please contact us.

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