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  1. I am 66 years old and I was born and reared in South Carolina. When I was a child, my Mother would bring me a “sursy” … A surprise gift.
    I continued the “sursy” tradition with my two daughters.
    In the early 1990s, a poor, pitiful, sick, cat appeared in our backyard. After taking the cat to vet, we became the proud owners of this stray cat.
    Our daughter wanted to name her “Sursy”. We had no idea how to spell “Sursy”. We did not have “Google”. Imagine having to look something up in an encyclopedia!
    “The Greek Goddess Cerce would travel to other areas and would take surprise gifts”.
    When we registered her name at the vet’s office, I told the receptionist the story. I asked if we could name her “Cerce” but spell the name “Cercie”. The receptionist replied, ” you can spell the name anyway you want—she is the only one ever to have that name”.
    Sorry that this is so long, but it just warms my soul to know that my grandchildren are ” carrying on the tradition” of “Sursy- Sursie-Cerce-Cercie”….the Greek God of surprise gifts”!

    1. Hi Patricia! This was a really fantastic comment – thank you for sharing your knowledge about the Greek Goddess Cerce – who knew?! Google certainly didn’t pull this up last week when I was playing around with the word! 🙂
      What sweet memories, also, that you have of your cat, Cercie – thank you for sharing those comments as well. I love that you gifted her with such a darling name. Thank you so much for all of your comments and here’s to giving sursies (cerces, cercies…)!!

  2. I have lived in SC all of my 66 years. Tha 1st time I heard “surcy” was in 1968, while a freshman at USC. I was told that it was started by girls at CC. Truth or lore? Based on the previous comments, I say truth.

    1. Hi Nancy, I did see some comments about it staring in Columbia, and at Columbia College. I’ve also seen some really interesting comments {the one above yours, especially} about the Greek Goddess Cerce, that could point to the origination. Either way, it’s a great little word and I hope you’ve enjoyed using it!

    2. I’ve always lived in South Carolina, but I first heard about this sweet word at Carolina in Columbia, also. I was a student there from 1968-1972. We gave surcies to each other especially during exam time.

  3. I grew up in Chapin, SC. I learned the word sursey in high school. The word itself was a gift from a favorite teacher. I have given sursey’s ever since and it’s delightful!

    1. Hi Jackie, what a wonderful story – thank you so much for sharing with us! I hope those that receive your sweet sursies have enjoyed the gift and word as much as I have. Thank you so much for stopping by!

  4. I first heard the word in college in NC, but from a roommate from SC. I always thought th word was just a cutesy shortening of the word my mom, from Indiana, always used when she brought me something similar-a little surprise.

    1. Hi Amanda, thank you for your comments…now you know! Although, people much smarter than I have posted some really fascinating facts/historical info on the word {see other comments}. I think it’s great that your mom brought your sursies, and I hope you’re carrying on the tradition!

    2. Amanda and Michelle,
      I heard the word as a young person in NC. I always thought it was a short, cute way to say surprise too.

  5. I heard of surcey when I was in college but I went to Winthrop. I was told that it is a special gift that you happened to see if you are away from someone you love and you want to let them you were thinking of them.

    1. Hi Helen, I think this is a great explanation…my gifting of sursies is generally for those that I care about, and are a result of having seen something that made me think especially of that individual.
      Thanks for your comment!

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