Greet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Greet family

The surname Greet was first found in Northumberland, where Phiolippus filius Grete was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls in 1201. Years later, Greta was found in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219 and later in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1260.

Greet is as an Old English byname and was listed in Saxon times as AEdelwold des Greta c. 900. The same source listed AEdelmaeres Greatan in 1017.

Greet is thought to have been derived from the Old English word "great", or less commonly from Greta(f), probably short for Margaret. 1

Greet is a chapelry, in the parish and union of Winchcomb, Lower division of the hundred of Kiftsgate, in Gloucestershire and a parish, in the union of Tenbury, hundred of Overs in Shropshire. 2

Henry and Gilbert le Grete were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for Berkshire in 1279 as well as the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1287. 1

Early History of the Greet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Greet research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1666, 1667 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Greet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greet Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Greet, Grete, Greetan, Greeton, Greep, Greeter and others.

Early Notables of the Greet family

Distinguished members of the family include

Thomas Greeting (fl. 1675), English musician who published in 1675 'The Pleasant Companion, or new Lessons and Instructions for the Flagelet.' Pepys engaged him to teach his wife an 'art that would be...
in the following year Greeting sent the Duke of Buckingham's musicians to Pepys's house to play dance music. 3

Greet migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Greet Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joshua Greet, (b. 1835), aged 24, Cornish labourer departing from Southampton aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Moreton Bay, New South Wales, Australia on 7th July 1859 4
Mrs. Grace Greet, (b. 1838), aged 21, Cornish settler departing from Southampton aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Moreton Bay, New South Wales, Australia on 7th July 1859 4
John Greet, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Verulam"

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf