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Gridley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Gridley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Gridley family

The surname Gridley was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where Albert Greslet was listed as holding lands in Cheshire. 1

Robertus Greslatus was listed in Lancashire in 1127, Robert Greslet in the Pipe Rolls for Yorskhire in 1130, Robert Greilli in Bedfordshire from 1133-1160, and Alexander Grisle was listed in Winton, Hampshire in 1148. Albert

Gresley, Gresle was listed in Norfolk 1153-1168 and later in Lancashire in Pipe Rolls of 1182. Robert Gresle, de Gredlei was registered in the Pipe Rolls for Lincolnshire 1196-1197 and Gredlei was listed in the same county in 1200. Robert Gresle, Grelle, de Grellay, Gredlegh was found in the Feet of Fines for Lancashire, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Oxfordshire in 1212. "Greasley and Gresley are also local in origin, from Greasley (Notts) and Gresley (Derby), pronounced Greasley." 2

There are two possible origins of the name. First, the name is derived from the Old French word "greslet" which roughly translates as "marked as by hail," or "pitted or pock-marked"; 2 and secondly it meant "dweller at the Grey Lea from the Old English grœg + leáh (Middle English ley.)" 3

Two other sources note that the name is a local name that "probably [originated] in co. Rutland, as De Greley and De Greyley are found there in H.R. [(Hundredorum Rolls)]temp. Edw. I." 4

And the second source provides more details about the Hundredorum Rolls entries, specifically entries for Thomas de Greyley, Rutland, and Albricus de Greyleye, Rutland. Robert de Greyle from Cambridgeshire was also listed there. 5

Robert Greyleg, was listed in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III. 6

Early History of the Gridley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gridley research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1198, 1204, 1271, 1273, 1295, 1614, 1634, 1637, 1654 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Gridley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gridley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Greely, Greeley, Grailly, de Grailly, Greyle, Greelie and many more.

Early Notables of the Gridley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Grayle or Graile (1614-1654), English Puritan minister, the son of John Grayle, priest, of Stone, Gloucestershire, where he...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gridley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gridley Ranking

In the United States, the name Gridley is the 14,310^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Gridley migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gridley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Gridley, of Suffolk, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 8
Mrs. Grace Gridley of Suffolk, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston 9
Mr. Joseph Gridley of Suffolk, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston 9
Mr. Abraham Gridley of Suffolk, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston 9
Thomas Gridley, who arrived in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1653 8

Gridley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Samuel Gridley, who landed in Virginia in 1702 8
Mary Gridley, who landed in Virginia in 1711 8

Gridley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Levi Gridley, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1822 8

Gridley migration to Australia +

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

Gridley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Gridley, English convict from Suffolk, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on August 08, 1849, settling in Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia 10
William Walter Gridley, aged 28, a blacksmith, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Taymouth Castle" 11

Gridley 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:

Gridley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J. Gridley, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Trevelyan" in 1884

Contemporary Notables of the name Gridley (post 1700) +

Jeremiah Gridley (1702-1767), American lawyer, editor, state legislator, and attorney general
Richard Gridley (1710-1796), He was a soldier and engineer who served for the British Army during the French and Indian Wars and for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War
Sylvester Gridley, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Oneida County 2nd District, 1876 12
Silas R. Gridley, American politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 3rd District, 1855 12
John V. Gridley, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 11th District, 1867 12
Horatio Gridley, American politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 1st District, 1843 12
G. Thompson Gridley, American politician, Village President of Jackson, Michigan, 1852-54; Circuit Judge in Michigan 4th Circuit, 1882-87 12
Edward A. Gridley, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 17th District, 1900 12
Delos H. Gridley, American politician, Dry Candidate for Delegate to New York convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 12
Abraham Gridley (d. 1850), American politician, Member of New York State Senate 7th District, 1847 12
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia in 1849 with 303 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1849
South Australian Register Tuesday 26th June 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Taymouth Castle 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/taymouthcastle1855.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html