Greely History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Greely family

The surname Greely 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 Greely family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Greely 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 Greely History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greely Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Greely 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 Greely Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greely migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Greely Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Greely, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 7

Greely migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Greely Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Ezekiel Greely U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association 8
Mr. Samuel Greely U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Greely (post 1700) +

Major-General John Nesmith Greely (1885-1965), American Head US Military Mission to Persia (1941-1942) 9
Adolphus Greely (1844-1935), United States Army, Arctic explorer, who became a Major-General
Adolphus Washington Greely (1844-1935), American Polar explorer, a United States Army officer and a recipient of the Medal of Honor
M. E. Greely, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 29th District, 1889-90; Member of South Dakota State Senate 26th District, 1897-98 10
Eliphalet Greely, American politician, Mayor of Portland, Maine, 1843-48 10
Jason Greely, Canadian musician and singer
Horace Greely Prettyman (1857-1945), American football player in the early years of the sport
Charles Greely Abbot (1872-1973), American astrophysicist

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.
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 11) John Greely. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Greely/John_Nesmith/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html