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Show ContentsGregory History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The name Gregory is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the personal name Gregory.1

Gregory the Great (d. 889), Grig, king of Scotland, "was the seventy-third king according to the fictitious chronology of Fordoun and Buchanan, but according to Skene's rectified list, the fifth king of the united kingdom of Scone, which Kenneth MacAlpine founded in 844. " 2

Gregory of Caergwent or Winchester (fl. 1270), was an English historian who entered the monastery of St. Peter's at Gloucester, according to his own account, on 29 Oct. 1237, and is stated to have lived there for sixty years. 2

Gregory of Huntingdon (fl. 1290), was an English "monk of Ramsey, of which abbey he is said to have been prior for thirty-eight years, is described as a man of much learning, acquainted with Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. " 2

Early Origins of the Gregory family

The surname Gregory was first found in Leicestershire where "this family is traced to John Gregory, Lord of the manors of Freseley and Asfordby, who married Maud, daughter of Sir Roger Moton, of Peckelton, knight; his son Richard Gregory, of the same places, died in the year 1292. " 3

Another source confirms this origin in that Willelmus filius Gregorii was listed in Leicestershire 1143-1177. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included a listing for Peter Gregory in Bedfordshire; Elyas filius Gregor, Cambridgeshire; Peter Gregory, Bedfordshire; and Richard filius Gregorii, Buckinghamshire. 5

Later the Assize Rolls for Somerset listed John Grigory there in 1280. John Gregory held land in Sussex, according to the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. 4

"Derbyshire is the great home of the Gregorys, who, however, are also established in different parts of the country, Northamptonshire ranking next to Derbyshire in this respect, but they are rare or absent in the east of England and in the northernmost counties. In Derbyshire they have been established for many centuries; the Eyam family of Gregory carry their descent back to the times of Edward II. A Warwickshire family of the name begin their pedigree with John Gregory, lord of the manors of Fresely and Asfordby, Leicestershire, in the 13th century; and about that time the name was also to be found in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire." 6

Up in Scotland, "several early Scots bishops bore this name, appropriate for the overseer of a church. Gregorius Duncheldensis, episcopus, c. 1150; Gregorius episcopus de Ros, 1171-84; Gregorius Moraviensis episcopus, 1150." 7

Furthermore in Scotland, the name "may be derived from Gregor, as some of the Clan M'Gregor changed their name to Gregory, when the Clan was proscribed and outlawed." 8

Early History of the Gregory family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gregory research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1451, 1569, 1598, 1625, 1633, 1638, 1646, 1651, 1652, 1664, 1675, 1677, 1678, 1691, 1696, 1720 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gregory History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gregory Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Gregory has undergone many spelling variations, including Gregory, Gregorie, Gregorey and others.

Early Notables of the Gregory family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Charles Gregory, Lord Mayor of London in 1451
  • Sir William Gregory (1625-1696), a British judge and politician, Speaker of the House of Commons in 1678, he purchased the manor and estate of How Caple, Herefordshire in 1677
  • Edmund Gregory (fl. 1646, died 1691), was an English author
  • James Gregory FRS (1638-1675), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who described an early practical design for the reflecting telescope, named the Gregorian telescope

Gregory World Ranking

In the United States, the name Gregory is the 284th most popular surname with an estimated 94,506 people with that name. 9 However, in Canada, the name Gregory is ranked the 898th most popular surname with an estimated 5,990 people with that name. 10 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Gregory is the 569th popular surname with an estimated 80 people with that name. 11 Australia ranks Gregory as 288th with 12,259 people. 12 New Zealand ranks Gregory as 360th with 1,783 people. 13 The United Kingdom ranks Gregory as 168th with 32,058 people. 14

Ireland Migration of the Gregory family to Ireland

Some of the Gregory family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Gregory migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Gregory were among those contributors:

Gregory Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Gregory, aged 40, who arrived in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "Falcon" 15
  • Richard Gregory, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 15
  • John Gregory (1612–1689), English founding settler of Norwalk, Connecticut from Nottinghamshire in the 1630s, he served in the General Court of the Connecticut Colony for many years
  • Henry Gregory, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1633 15
  • Georg Gregory, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gregory Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Benjamin Gregory, who landed in Mississippi in 1799 15
Gregory Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Casper, Enoch, Jacob, James, John, Patrick, Steven, Thomas, and William Gregory, who settled in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1860
  • M Gregory, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 15
  • Michael Gregory, aged 38, who arrived in New York in 1812 15
  • Robert Gregory, aged 27, who landed in Tennessee in 1812 15
  • Bridget Gregory, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Gregory migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gregory Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Moses Gregory U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 16
  • Mr. Richard Gregory U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 was a passenger aboard "Cyrus" on August 21, 1783 from New York to Saint John River 16
  • Mr. Richard P. Gregory U.E. (b. 1751) who settled in Kingston, Kings Co., NB c. 1784 he died in 1847 16
Gregory Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • John Gregory, who arrived in Canada in 1840
  • Carter Gregory, who landed in Canada in 1841
  • Mr. Andrew Gregory who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Junior" departing 10th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 3rd July 1847 but he died on board 17

Australia Gregory migration to Australia +

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

Gregory Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Henrietta Gregory, (Benfleet), (b. 1775), aged 39, English servant who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years for coining, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1819 18
  • Miss Ann Gregory, (b. 1803), aged 11, English settler travelling with mother Henrietta Gregory, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
  • Mr. Edward Gregory, (b. 1805), aged 9, English settler travelling with mother Henrietta Gregory, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
  • Mr. Charles Gregory, (b. 1807), aged 7, English settler travelling with mother Henrietta Gregory, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
  • Mr. George Gregory, (b. 1814), aged 2 months, English settler travelling with mother Henrietta Gregory, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gregory Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Ernest Gregory, (b. 1888), aged 24, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Marathon" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 5th December 1912 19

New Zealand Gregory migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gregory Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Gregory, aged 32, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
  • Mary Gregory, aged 30, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
  • Robert Gregory, aged 11, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
  • Rhoda Gregory, aged 7, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
  • Martha Gregory, aged 5, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gregory (post 1700) +

  • John Gregory (1938-2022), American football head coach in the Canadian Football League (NFL), Arena Football League (AFL), and Indoor Football League (IFL)
  • Earle Davis Gregory (1897-1972), American World War I Medal of Honor recipient 20
  • Richard Claxton "Dick" Gregory (1932-2017), American civil rights activist, social critic, writer, entrepreneur and comedian
  • Lieutenant-General Edmund Bristol Gregory (1882-1961), American Quartermaster-General (1940-1944) 21
  • Lieutenant Colonel (USAF, Ret.) William George Gregory (b. 1957), former NASA astronaut with 16 days in space 22
  • Colonel (USAF, Ret.) Frederick Drew Gregory (b. 1941), NASA Astronaut with over 455 hours in space 23
  • Horace Gregory (1898-1982), prize-winning American poet, translator of classic poetry, literary critic and college professor 24
  • James Gregory (b. 1946), American stand-up comedian 25
  • Hayden A. Buck Gregory, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
  • Michael Seward "Mike" Gregory (1956-2022), English professional darts player, who reached the final of the Winmau World Masters twice
  • ... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. Frederick Gregory, British Assistant Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 26
HMS Cornwall
  • Robert William Haig Gregory, British Marine aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 27
HMS Hood
  • Mr. John Gregory (b. 1919), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Sutton-in-Ashford, Nottinghamshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 28
  • Mr. Arthur H Gregory (b. 1910), English Leading Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Poole, Dorsetshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 28
HMS Royal Oak
  • A.V. Gregory, British Lieutenant Commander with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 29
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. John Henry Gregory, English Trimmer from Peckham, London, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 30
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. David Gregory (d. 1912), aged 43, English Greaser from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 31
Senghenydd colliery
  • Mr. Arthur Joseph Gregory (b. 1893), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died

The Gregory Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vigilanter
Motto Translation: Watchfully.
  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  8. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  9. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  10. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  11. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  12. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  13. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  14. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  15. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  16. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  17. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 78)
  18. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
  19. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
  20. Earle Gregory. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Earle Gregory. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earle_D._Gregory
  21. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 11) Edmund Gregory. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Gregory/Edmund_Bristol/USA.html
  22. NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) William Gregory. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/gregor-w.html
  23. NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Frederick Gregory. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/gregory-fd.html
  24. Horace Gregory. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Horace Gregory. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Gregory
  25. James Gregory. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) James Gregory. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gregory_%28comedian%29
  26. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  27. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
  28. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  29. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  30. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  31. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
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