The meaning of Tracy

Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.

The Meaning of My Name

By Tracy Schruder

The meaning of my name :

Tracy is of French and English origin. It’s derived from the Old French word, traciar, meaning, to trace or to track. In medieval times, the name Tracy referred to a person who was a tracker or a hunter.This word is derived from the Latin tractus,  which means a drawing out or a tracing.

In modern times, the name Tracy has become unisex, although it was originally more commonly given to males. It’s associated with qualities like; resourcefulness, determination, courage and Loyalty. 

Some notable people with the name Tracy include Tracy Chapman (American singer-songwriter), Tracy Morgan (American comedian and actor), and Tracy K. Smith (American poet and Pulitzer Prize winner)

In medieval times, the name Tracy referred to a person who was a tracker, hunter, or pursuer. It’s believed to have originated in Normandy, France, and was brought to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Over time, the name Tracy evolved into various spellings, including Tracey, Traci, Tracie, and others. Today, the name Tracy is found in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Interestingly, the bearers of the name Tracy were pathfinders or trailblazers, figuratively or literally.

Personally, as far as my father tells me, the choice to use the name Tracy, for his first born child, was well thought out long before I was born. According to him, my paternal great grandmother, who was of British origin, absolutely loved the name Tracey because of a dear male friend named Tracey she had, when she was a child. 

She would tell him stories of the shenanigans and misadventures that they had growing up. She expressed how much she loved him and dearly, missed him.  

As my father grew up in close ties with Emma (great grandmother), he was privileged to learn all about her adventurous, strong and brave young friend. 

She would talk for hours about her young friend. She often shared one special story, that she favoured most, (Dad remembered it by heart) She would reminisce , ‘one day, when she was six years old , they were playing down at the creek, it was winter time and they would slide on the ice in their boots, on this one,  particular day, she had fallen on the ice and bumped her head really bad. She claimed she ‘couldn’t get up and ‘was ‘seeing double’. 

Her little buddy Tracey who was also six years old, swung into action, he picked her up and carried her all the way up, the long country road, to the homestead farm. According to her it was more than a mile, which is a long walk especially while carrying someone, especially for a six year old.’ 

It turns out that she had a bad concussion and may have died if Tracey hadn’t got her home and warm as quickly as he did. She thought of Tracey as her little hero. 

She explained to my father that she always wanted a grandchild named after him because my father’s mom wouldn’t have it. So, ultimately my father promised her, if he ever had kids he would name his firstborn,  Tracy. He shared this story with my mother and she agreed it was a good idea. She would name their first born Tracy because it would be suitable no matter what gender I came out as when I was born.