Griffes Surname HistoryThe Anglo-Saxon name Griffes comes from the baptismal name Reeve where as a surname it refers to son of Reeve. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, "sunu" and "sune," which meant "son," were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word "filius," which meant "son." By the 14th century, the suffix "son" had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with "filius" or "son" were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time. The surname Griffes also referred to manager or overseer as an occupational surname. Alternatively, the name could have originally been a Norman name descending from Walter de Grava (De la Grave) which was found in Normandy before the Conquest and still there as late as 1198. 1 Early Origins of the Griffes familyThe surname Griffes was first found in Gloucestershire where Osbert de Grava or De la Grave was found in 1203. From this first entry, the Graveses of Mickleton, Gloucester, ancestors of the gallant admiral Lord Graves, and the Baronets Graves-Saule descend. 1 The source "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum" lists Geoffrey de la Grave, Gloucestershire, (temp. Henry III-Edward I) and the "Placita de Quo Warranto" lists Sibilla de la Grave, Gloucestershire, 20 Edward I (during the 20th year of Edward I's reign.) 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included the following early listings of the family: Edith de la Grava, Oxfordshire; Henry de la Grave, Oxfordshire; Hugh de la Grave, Somerset; and John de la Grave, Wiltshire. 3 "Greaves, which is a characteristic name of the midland counties, has long been a Worcestershire name. The old family of Greves held some position in the county." 4 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed the following as holding lands there at that time: Johannes Grave; Adam Grayf; Johanna Grayf; and Robertus Grayff. 3 Early History of the Griffes familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Griffes research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1600, 1602, 1604, 1605, 1607, 1608, 1612, 1652, 1669, 1673, 1676, 1677, 1680, 1715, 1729, 1784 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Griffes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Griffes Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Grieves, Grieve, Greve, Greves, Greeves, Greaves, Greave, Griveson, Greaveson, Greavson and many more. Early Notables of the Griffes familyNotables of the family at this time include Thomas Greaves (fl. 1604), English musical composer and lutenist to Sir Henry Pierrepont, belonging probably to the Derbyshire family of Greaves; Thomas Greaves (1612-1676), an English Orientalist, a contributor to the London Polyglot; John Greaves (1602-1652), an English mathematician, astronomer and antiquary, eldest son. of the Rev. John Greaves, rector of Colemore, near Alresford in Hampshire; Sir Edward Greaves, 1st Baronet (1608-1680), an English physician... Migration of the Griffes family to IrelandSome of the Griffes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Griffes familySome of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Captain Thomas Graves, who traveled on the first ship to Jamestown, Virginia in 1607; Jane Grieves purchased land in Delaware in 1682; Admiral Greaves settled in Savannah, Georgia in 1823.
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