Show ContentsGroeve History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Groeve surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in or near a grove of trees. The surname is derived from the Old English word graua, the root of the modern word "grove," which described a small cluster of trees. 1

Early Origins of the Groeve family

The surname Groeve was first found in Somerset where the following were all listed 1, Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign): Hawysa atte Grove; Stephen atte Grove; and Thomas atte Grove. 2

John de la Grove was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275; Robert ate Groue in the Assize Rolls for Kent in 1317; and William Grove was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire in 1327. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus del Grove. 1

Early History of the Groeve family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Groeve research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1119, 1587, 1609, 1634, 1635, 1654, 1659, 1660, 1684, 1691, 1692, 1696, 1738 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Groeve History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Groeve Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Groeve include Grove, Groves, Le Grove and others.

Early Notables of the Groeve family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Grove (ca. 1609-1692), from Ferne House in Wiltshire, an English politician, Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in 1654, Marlborough in 1659 and Shaftesbury in 1660; and Robert Grove (1634-1696), from London, Bishop of Chichester (1691-1696.) Henry Grove (1684-1738), was a dissenting tutor, "born at Taunton, Somersetshire, on 4 Jan. 1684. His grandfather was the ejected vicar of Pinhoe, Devonshire, whose son, a Taunton upholsterer, married a sister of John Rowe, ejected from a lectureship at Westminster Abbey; Henry...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Groeve Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Groeve family to Ireland

Some of the Groeve family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Groeve migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Groeve Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Henry Groeve, who landed in Georgia in 1741 4


The Groeve 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: Ny dessux ny dessoux
Motto Translation: Neither above nor beneath.


  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. 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.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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)


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