Parent’s name

Massey surname meaning

An English surname from Massy, a pet form of Matthew, with Norman French habitational and other regional routes.

Confidence: Disputed
US frequency: Rank 626 · 52,666 people
Common variants: Massey, Massy, Macey, Massé

Confidence: Disputed. More than one origin is plausible, or sources disagree. We show the conflict rather than pick a cute answer.

The short story

Massey has several documented histories. In English records it can come from Massy, a medieval pet form of Matthew, making parent’s name the clearest catalog category. Norman and French families also used Massey for people from places such as Macey or Massy in Normandy, while French Massé and southern French Massa supplied other lines. Massey, Massy, Macey, and Massé may therefore be related in some records without proving one origin. The catalog uses parent’s name for the English route, with disputed confidence because the habitational and regional alternatives are substantial.

Also seen as: Massey, Massy, Macey, Massé

Sources used

Ancestry surname meaning for Massey citing DAFN 2022 (Massy/Matthew and Norman place-name routes)
Wiktionary “Massey” (English, Norman, and French etymologies)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)