Grou History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The name Grou is tied to the ancient French culture that is at the heart of Western civilization. It comes from This particular name was devised in Normandy, a region at the north of the country, from the Old French personal name Gréoul. This name is composed of the Germanic elements "gred," which means "desire," and "wulf," which means "wolf."

Early Origins of the Grou family

The surname Grou was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family was established in early times.

Early History of the Grou family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grou research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1518, 1600, 1640, 1643, 1697, 1731, 1733, 1743, 1803, 1814, 1825, 1826, 1866, 1870, 1883, 1930 and 1947 are included under the topic Early Grou History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grou Spelling Variations

Changes of spelling have occurred in most surnames. The earliest explanation is that during the early development of the French language, names were not yet fixed in spelling. Usually a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. This depended on accent, and local accents frequently changed the spelling of a name. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there are some spelling variations of the name Grou, including Grou, Groue, Groues, Groulx, Grould, Groul, Groult, Groux, Groud, Grout, de Grout, Groutte, la Groutte, Grouteau, Grouard, Grouet, Groué, Grouais and many more.

Early Notables of the Grou family

Notable amongst the family in this period was

John Grout (c.1643-1697), an American colonial military figure and selectman for Sudbury, Massachusetts
Jean-Nicolas Grou (1731-1803)
Thomas Pierre-Adrien Groult (1733-1814), the founder of the Academic Society of Cherbourg, the son of Thomas, the lord of Reims
Louis Grout des Rivières (1743-1826), a general
Charles Groux (1825-1870) and his son, Henry (1866-1930), painters

Grou migration to Canada +

French settlers came early to North American, following in the wake of the explorers, and creating New France. Quebec City, founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain is said to have been the first American site founded as a permanent settlement, rather than as just a commercial outpost. But emigration was slow, in 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 French people in Quebec, and by 1663, when the region was officially made The Royal Colony of New France, by Louis XIV, there still only around 500 settlers. Over 2,000 would arrive during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. Youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted immigrants, both noble and commoner from France. By 1675, there were around 7000 French in the colony, and by that same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. Despite the loss of the Colony to England, the French people flourished in Lower Canada. Among settlers to North America of the Grou surname were

Grou Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Marie Goguet Grou, who arrived in Montreal in 1659
Jean Grou, who landed in Montreal in 1671
Jean Grou, son of Etienne and Judith, who married Anne Goguet, daughter of Pierre and Louise, in Montreal, Quebec on 23rd November 1671 1

Grou Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jean Grou, son of Jean and Anne, who married jeanne Cousineau, daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Jeanne, in Montreal, Quebec on 15th July 1708 1
Jean Grou, who married Jeanne Cousineau in Montreal in 1708
Jean Grou, who married Agathe Hay in St-Laurent in 1726
Jean Grou, son of Pierre and Marie-Gabrielle, who married Agathe Hay, daughter of Pierre and Catherine, in Saint-Laurent, Quebec on 4th March 1726 1
Joseph Grou, son of Jean and Jeanne, who married Marie-Josephte Bayard, daughter of Jacques and Marie-Josephte, in Saint-Laurent, Quebec on 14th October 1743 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.