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Grantham History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Grantham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Grantham name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in Grantham, a town located in the county of Lincolnshire. The name was derived from the Old English word grand which may have been derived from the personal name Granta and the Old English word ham meaning "homestead" 1

Early Origins of the Grantham family

The surname Grantham was first found in Lincolnshire at Grantham, a market town within the South Kesteven district, which was first listed in the Domesday Book as Grantham. 2 3

The place name probably meant "homestead or village of a man called Granta" derived from the Old English personal name + ham. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old English word "grand" meaning "gravel" + ham. 4

One of the first records of the family was Thomas de Grantham who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Hertfordshire in 1220. 5

Early History of the Grantham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grantham research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1328, 1544, 1573, 1589, 1604, 1612, 1629, 1630, 1634, 1640, 1641, 1655, 1692 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Grantham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grantham Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Grantham include Grantham, Grantam, Grantem, Grantum, Granthem and others.

Early Notables of the Grantham family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir Thomas Grantham (1573-1630), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1604 to 1629, matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford (1589); and his son, Thomas Grantham (1612-1655), an Eng...
Thomas Grantham (1634-1692), was a general Baptist divine, "born at Halton-Holegate, near Spilsby, Lincolnshire, in 1634. He belonged, he says, to the 'poor kindred' of the 'ancient family of the Gran...

Grantham Ranking

In the United States, the name Grantham is the 2,446^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6

Grantham migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Grantham or a variant listed above:

Grantham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Andrew Grantham, who landed in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1667 7

Grantham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jer Grantham, who arrived in Virginia in 1706 7
John Grantham, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1772
John Grantham, who settled in New England in 1778

Grantham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Grantham, who settled in New York in 1807
Peter Grantham, aged 28, who landed in New York in 1807 7
Henry I Grantham, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 7
James Grantham, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1851

Grantham migration to Australia +

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

Grantham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Grantham, (b. 1797), aged 34, English gardener who was convicted in East Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
William Grantham, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Constance" 9
Thomas Grantham, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"

Grantham migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Grantham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Grantham, (b. 1822), aged 37, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th January 1860 10
Mrs. Elizabeth Dix Deborah Grantham, (b. 1823), aged 36, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th January 1860 10
Miss Eliza Grantham, (b. 1843), aged 16, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th January 1860 10
Miss Sarah Ann Grantham, (b. 1846), aged 13, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th January 1860 10
Mr. Thomas Grantham, (b. 1848), aged 11, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th January 1860 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Grantham (post 1700) +

Wendy Grantham (b. 1968), American actress and singer, known for her work on Emmett's Mark (2002), The Wire (2002) and Crooklyn (1994)
Donald Grantham (b. 1947), American composer and music educator
George Farley "Boots" Grantham (1900-1954), American former professional Major League Baseball player
Kevin Grantham, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 2012 11
K. H. Grantham, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oklahoma, 1936 11
John W. Grantham, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Jefferson County, 1872, 1881-82; Member of West Virginia State Senate 12th District, 1873 11
Jasper E. Grantham, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1964 11
George Leighton Grantham, American Democratic Party politician, Member of South Carolina State Senate from Pickens County, 1951-54; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1952 11
Everett M. Grantham, American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, 1937-42, 1946-51; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico, 1952 11
E. L. Grantham, American politician, Member of Georgia State Senate 46th District, 1923-24 11
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Grantham family +

St. Francis Dam

Mr. Seth Drew Grantham, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

The Grantham Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Honore et amore
Motto Translation: With honour and love.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
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/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Constance.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html