Greant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestors of the name Greant date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Greant family lived in the village greene which was the center or main square of each region. It is derived from the Old English "grene," meaning "green," and was most likely first borne by a family who lived in the village greene, the center or main square of a region. Alternatively, it may have been bestowed as a nickname on someone who was particularly fond of dressing in green. 1

Early Origins of the Greant family

The surname Greant was first found in Kent, where the earliest record of the name was Geoffrey Greene who was recorded in a Poll Tax in 1188. As every early English village had a green, the surname Greant emerged independently in many different places during the Middle Ages, thus creating several early branches of the Greant family. Richard de la Grene was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1200 and Geoffrey Attegrene was listed in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1206. 2 The prefix "atte" was a popular namesake which meant in this case "at the green." 1

Years later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Deonisia ate Grene and Warin de la Grene; while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Petnis del Grene and Adam del Grene, as holding lands there at that time. 3

Records in Scotland were very scarce, but we did find "Roger del ('of the') Grene in Roxburghshire [who] rendered homage in 1296 [to King Edward I of England]. Master John Grene, [was] Chancellor of Moray, 1463." 4

Early History of the Greant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Greant research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1461, 1462, 1506, 1558, 1592, 1614, 1620, 1630, 1636, 1679, 1685, 1690, 1700, 1702, 1705, 1708 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Greant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greant 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 Greant 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 Greant include: Greene, Green, Grene, Grean and others.

Early Notables of the Greant family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Thomas de Green (c.1461-1506), Lord of Greens Norton, received Boughton, Greens Norton, and large monetary grants through his inheritance upon the death of his father in 1462; Dr. John Green, the Bishop of Lincoln; Sir William Greene of Oxford, Alderman Greene of Chester; Robert Greene (1558-1592), English dramatist; John Henry Green (1636-1685), an English...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Greant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Greant family to Ireland

Some of the Greant family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Greant family

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 Greant or a variant listed above: Aderton Greene, who came to Virginia in 1623; John Greene, who settled in Boston in 1625; Abigail Greene, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1632.

The Greant 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: Virtus semper viridis
Motto Translation: Virtue is always flourishing.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)