Grain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Grain is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived on the Isle of Grain in Kent, or possible from the French, Graine; a personal name. 1 Two other sources note the Kent 2 3 connection, but we need to explore the possible French influence more. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Richard de Grana in Normandy 1180-1195 4 and so this may be the source for some of the family.

Early Origins of the Grain family

The surname Grain was first found in Yorkshire where William del Greyn was listed as holding lands in the Subsidy Rolls of 1297. Years later, John atte Grelne was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327 and William Grayne was found in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1362. The name literally means "dweller at the inlet, or at the fork of a river.' 5

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 also include many entries for the name in the Grayneson form: Willelmus de Grayne; Walterus Grayne; Thomas Grayne; Johannes Grayneson; Ricardus Grayneson; Robertus Grayneson; and many more. The Howdenshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Willelmus Grayne, husband; and Alanus Grayne, orewster. 6

Early History of the Grain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grain research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1362, 1379, 1455, 1487, 1616, 1629, 1667 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Grain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grain 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 Grain 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Grain include: Grain, Grayne, Grayn, Graynson, Grainson, Granson and others.

Early Notables of the Grain family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grain Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Grain family to Ireland

Some of the Grain family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grain migration to the United States +

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 Grain or a variant listed above:

Grain Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Grain, aged 40, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1815 7
Helwig Grain, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 7

Grain migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Grain Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Mr. Mathurin Grain, (b. 1630), aged 32 French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 9th May 1662 8

Grain migration to Australia +

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

Grain Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Grain, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
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)
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)
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment