Show ContentsGrinstead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Grinstead family

The surname Grinstead was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Grimstead when Herbert, a Norman noble was under tenant to Waleran Hunter who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Grinstead family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grinstead research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1630 and 1665 are included under the topic Early Grinstead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grinstead Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Grimstead, Grimsteed, Grimsted, Grimstede, Grinstead, Grinsted and many more.

Early Notables of the Grinstead family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Elizabeth Key Grinstead (ca...

Grinstead Ranking

In the United States, the name Grinstead is the 12,615th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Grinstead migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Grinstead Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Albina Grinstead, aged 22, who settled in America from Barnet, in 1892
Grinstead Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • W. F. Grinstead, who landed in America, in 1903
  • James Grinstead, aged 33, who settled in America from Horsham, in 1905
  • Alice Grinstead, aged 41, who immigrated to the United States from Sevenoaks, in 1906
  • Irene Grinstead, aged 42, who landed in America, in 1909
  • Philip W. Grinstead, aged 42, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Grinstead (post 1700) +

  • Irish Grinstead (1980-2023), former member of the 702 group American girl group which featured the Grinstead sisters
  • R. E. Grinstead, American politician, Member of Nebraska State House of Representatives, 1883 3
  • Minnie J. Grinstead (1869-1925), American Republican politician, Member of Kansas State House of Representatives, 1919-24; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1920 (alternate), 1924; Seward County Probate Judge, 1925 3
  • James Fontleroy Grinstead (1845-1921), American Republican politician, Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, 1907-09; Jefferson County Commissioner, 1917-21 3
  • Durward Grinstead, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Dresden, 1926; Hamburg, 1929 3
  • James Fontleroy Grinstead (1845-1921), American politician nicknamed "Honest Jim", Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1907 to 1909
  • Charles Walder Grinstead (1860-1930), English champion tennis player
  • Eric Douglas Grinstead (b. 1921), New Zealand sinologist and Tangutologist


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, July 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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