What does surcee mean?

What is a surcee?

Inevitably when I begin talking about my floral design business, Surcee Florals, the first question I’m often asked is “what does surcee mean? Where did you come up with surcee? Is that like the evil woman in Game of Thrones?” Because I’m biased, I think surcee is a cute name, but it also has a meaning that I love.

A surcee is a term for a thoughtful and unexpected gift. The word surcee has been passed down through generations in the south, specifically the Carolinas. A surcee is not expensive. It is the thought behind the gift that is meaningful. A surcee can be a candle, a bottle of wine, a sweet card, or a considerate trinket.

Because surcee is one of those “out loud” words, there are a lot of different variations in the spelling. Other spellings include: surcie, surcy, sursee, cercie, searcy, sirsee, circi, and sircee.

Here are a few examples of surcee in everyday use:

“Jessica got a parking ticket last week when she was visiting me. I’m going to go get her a surcee to show my appreciation for her stopping by."

“I haven’t seen Sarah in a few weeks; I think I’m going to surprise her with a surcee. Do you know of a cute gift shop in town?”

“This is the sweetest little flower arrangement; it’ll make the perfect surcee for Bridget.”

My love language is gift giving, so I am totally on board with the idea of giving a nice surcee for no reason at all. And I love the idea of naming my business after this thoughtful practice.