Show ContentsGrimshaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Grimshaw date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Grimshaw family lived in the hamlet of Grimshaw, now part of Eccleshill in Lancashire. The name is derived from "Grimshaw, some woody place in South Lancashire, called no doubt after its earliest possessor, Grim. The surname is very common in Lancashire and Yorkshire." [1]

Early Origins of the Grimshaw family

The surname Grimshaw was first found in Lancashire where Richard de Grymeschagh, de Grymeschawe was listed in the 13th century and in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1284. Later, Henry de Grimeshagh was listed in Lancashire in 1400. [2]

Adam de Grymeshawe was listed at Tottington, Lancashire, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign.) [1]

Early History of the Grimshaw family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grimshaw research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1575, 1579, 1618, 1708, 1731, 1734 and 1763 are included under the topic Early Grimshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grimshaw Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Grimshaw 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 Grimshaw include: Grimshaw, Grimshawe, Grimshor, Grinshaw, Grimshore, Grinshore, Gremshaw, Grimshall, Grimeshaw, Grimsshaw, Grinshaw and many more.

Early Notables of the Grimshaw family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • William Grimshaw (1708-1763), was "incumbent of Haworth, Yorkshire, was born at Brindle, Lancashire, on 3 Sept. 1708. He was educated at the grammar schools of Blackburn and Hesketh, and at the age of...

Grimshaw Ranking

In the United States, the name Grimshaw is the 15,498th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]


United States Grimshaw 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 Grimshaw or a variant listed above:

Grimshaw Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Grimshaw who was farming in Virginia in 1656
  • Eliza Grimshaw, who landed in Virginia in 1696 [4]
Grimshaw Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Grimshaw, who arrived in Georgia in 1737 [4]
  • Judith Grimshaw, who landed in Georgia in 1737 [4]
Grimshaw Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Grimshaw, who arrived in America in 1805 [4]
  • Isaac Grimshaw, aged 40, who landed in New York in 1812 [4]
  • Joseph Grimshaw, aged 49, who arrived in New York in 1812 [4]
  • George Grimshaw, who arrived in Mississippi in 1829 [4]

Australia Grimshaw migration to Australia +

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

Grimshaw Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Ann Grimshaw, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [5]
  • Mr. William Grimshaw, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "China" on 80th January 1846, arriving in Norfolk Island, Australia [6]
  • James Grimshaw, aged 23, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Nabob"

Contemporary Notables of the name Grimshaw (post 1700) +

  • William A. Grimshaw, American Republican politician, Delegate to Illinois State Constitutional Convention from Pike County, 1847; Presidential Elector for Illinois, 1880 [7]
  • Jacky Grimshaw, American Democratic Party politician, Member, Credentials Committee, Democratic National Convention, 2008 [7]
  • Dan Grimshaw, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 84th District, 2012 [7]
  • Arthur H. Grimshaw, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Wilmington, Delaware, 1861-66 [7]
  • Myron Frederick "Moose" Grimshaw (1875-1936), American Major League Baseball right fielder who played for the Boston Americans from 1905 to 1907
  • Aiden Samuel Grimshaw (b. 1991), English singer-songwriter and actor
  • William "Billy" Grimshaw (1892-1968), English footballer
  • Lieutenant-Colonel John Elisha Grimshaw VC (1893-1980), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Sir Nicholas Grimshaw CBE (b. 1939), prominent English architect, founder of Grimshaw Architects
  • Tracy Jane Grimshaw (b. 1960), Australian journalist and television presenter, former Today on Saturday Host (1992–1996)
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Samuel Grimshaw (b. 1907), English Able Seaman & Gunner from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [8]
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Arthur Grimshaw, American 2nd Class passenger from Brooklyn, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking [9]


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844
  6. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 5th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/china
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, July 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  9. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook