| ![Show Contents]() Gresham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Gresham surname lived in the village of Gresham in the county of Norfolk. 1 2 3 Early Origins of the Gresham familyThe surname Gresham was first found in Norfolk at Gresham, a parish, in the union of Erpingham, hundred of North Erpingham. "Gresham gave name to the family of which Sir Thomas [Gresham] (c. 1519-1579), the founder of the Royal Exchange and of Gresham College, was a member." 4 The same Sir Thomas is again mentioned in the same source in Battisford, Suffolk. "The framework of the late Royal Exchange, London, erected by Sir Thomas Gresham, was made here; Sir Thomas residing in the adjoining parish of Kingshall, and having considerable property in this." 4 Another family seat was found at Barnby-Upon-Don in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "The church [of Barnby-Upon-Don] is a well-built structure of very ancient date, with a chancel the property of the Gresham family, which contains some handsome monuments to their ancestors and others." 4 Ancient rolls give typically give a glimpse of the many spellings in use over the years, but this name is the exception as William de Gresham was registered in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1199 and Thomas Gresham was recorded in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1446. It wasn't until the 16 century to find a variant, that of Richard Gressam listed as a Freeman of York in 1551. 5 Early History of the Gresham familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gresham research. Another 186 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1495, 1519, 1537, 1549, 1556, 1579, 1626, 1627, 1649, 1660, 1696, 1709, 1718 and 1776 are included under the topic Early Gresham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gresham Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Gresham are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Gresham include: Gresham, Gressam and others. Early Notables of the Gresham familyNotables of this surname at this time include: - Sir John Gresham (1495-1556), an English merchant, courtier and financier who worked for King Henry VIII of England, Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell, Lord Mayor of London and founded Gresham's Sch...
- Sir Richard Gresham (c.1485-1549), an English mercer, Merchant Adventurer, Lord Mayor of London, and Member of Parliament who was descended from an ancient family which long resided in the village of...
- Sir Thomas Gresham (c.1519-1579), sometimes called Thomas Gresham the Elder, an English merchant and financier who worked for King Edward VI of England and for Edward's half-sisters, Queens Mary I and...
- Sir Marmaduke Gresham (1627-1696), 1st Baronet of Lympsfield in the County of Surrey
- Sir Edward Gresham, 2nd Baronet (1649-1709)
- Sir Charles Gresham, 3rd Baronet (1660-1718)
Gresham RankingIn the United States, the name Gresham is the 2,656th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6
 Gresham migration to the United States | + |
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Gresham or a variant listed above:
Gresham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Ed. Gresham, who settled in Virginia in 1650
Gresham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Andrew Gresham, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1858
- Robert Gresham, aged 33, who landed in America, in 1893
- Clara Gresham, aged 6, who settled in America, in 1894
- Hannah Gresham, aged 8, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
- Hy. G. Gresham, aged 3, who landed in America, in 1895
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gresham Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Linley Gresham, aged 10, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
- Herbert Gresham, aged 48, who settled in America, in 1904
- Arthur P. Gresham, aged 23, who landed in America from London, in 1904
- Thomas B. Gresham, aged 65, who landed in America, in 1905
- Joseph Gresham, aged 37, who settled in America, in 1907
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Gresham migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Gresham Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century- William Gresham, aged 52, who immigrated to St Johns, Newfoundland, in 1911
| Contemporary Notables of the name Gresham (post 1700) | + |
- Claude Hamilton "Grits" Gresham Jr. (1922-2008), American sportsman, author, photographer and television host of ABC's The American Sportsman series from 1966 to 1979 7
- Max Gresham (b. 1993), American stock car racing driver
- William Lindsay Gresham (1909-1962), American novelist and non-fiction author, best known for his work Nightmare Alley (1946), which was adapted into a 1947 film starring Tyrone Power
- Douglas Howard Gresham (b. 1945), American-born, British actor, biographer, and film producer
- Jermaine Gresham (b. 1988), American NFL football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals
- James H. "Jimmy" Gresham (b. 1934), American soul singer, writer, and producer
- Peter John Gresham ONZM (b. 1933), former New Zealand politician
- Walter Quintin Gresham (1832-1895), American statesman and jurist, United States Postmaster General, eponym of the USCGC Gresham (WAVP-387)
- J. W. Gresham, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1908 8
- George Gresham, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 2008; Presidential Elector for New York, 2012 8
- ... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Suggested Readings for the name Gresham | + |
- A Family Named Gresham by Virgil L. Gresham.
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Claude Gresham. (Retrieved 2013, June 10) Claude Gresham. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grits_Gresham
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Gresham migration to the United States 
Gresham migration to Canada 
