| ![Show Contents]() Grimsley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Grimsley was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Grimsley family lived in Worcestershire as Lords of the manor of Grimley. Early Origins of the Grimsley familyThe surname Grimsley was first found in Worcestershire at Grimley, a village and civil parish now in the Malvern Hills District, originally in the union of Martley, Lower division of the hundred of Oswaldslow. An ancient Saxon stronghold, the first listing of the place name was in the 9th century when it was listed as Grimanleage. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name had evolved to Grimanleh and consisted of a mill and one half of a fishery of eels. 1 The place name literally means "wood or glade haunted by a spectre or goblin," from the Old English words "grima" + "leah." 2 Early History of the Grimsley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grimsley research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early Grimsley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Grimsley Spelling VariationsNorman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Grimley, Grimly, Grimleigh, Grimlie, Grymley and many more. Early Notables of the Grimsley familyMore information is included under the topic Early Grimsley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Grimsley RankingIn the United States, the name Grimsley is the 5,874th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3  Migration of the Grimsley family to Ireland
Some of the Grimsley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Grimsley migration to the United States | + |
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Grimsley or a variant listed above:
Grimsley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Nelson Grimsley, aged 55, who immigrated to America, in 1907
- David Grimsley, who landed in America, in 1912
- Edith Annie Grimsley, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States from England, in 1916
- Elisabeth Grimsley, aged 53, who settled in America, in 1920
- Nellie Grimsley, aged 21, who landed in America from Leicester, England, in 1921
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Grimsley (post 1700) | + |
- R. J. Grimsley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1944 4
- Arthur T. Grimsley, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 32nd District, 1966 4
- Ross Albert Grimsley II (b. 1950), American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher
- S.W. Grimsley, American technical officer at Wilkes Station in 1963, eponym of the Antarctic Mount Grimsley
- Greer Grimsley, American bass-baritone
- John Glenn Grimsley (1962-2008), American NFL linebacker
- Jim Grimsley (b. 1955), American novelist and playwright
- Jason Alen Grimsley (b. 1967), American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher
- James Alexander Grimsley Jr. (b. 1921), former Major General of the United States Army
- Jack Grimsley, Australian musical director and composer
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, July 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Grimsley migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
