Gricks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The Picts were the ancient Scottish tribe where the ancestors of the Gricks family lived. The name Gricks comes from a diminutive form of the personal name Gregory. The Gaelic form of the name was Griogair, which was borrowed from the Latin name Gregorius. This in turn came from the Greek name Gregorios, a derivative of the word gregorein, which means to be awake or to be watchful.

Early Origins of the Gricks family

The surname Gricks was first found in Fife and "along the east central coast. In old parish records the name is spelled Greag (1689), Greg, Grege (1536), Gregg, Grieg, Grig (1508) Walter Greg witnessed a charter by Malcolm, earl of Fife, c. 1214-1226. Patrick Grige was admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1488, and John Grige held land there, 1493. Johannes Greg was chosen common councillor in Aberdeen, 1502." 1

The Gregg or Greig surname and their variants are closely associated with that of the great ancient Clan, the MacGregors, descended from Prince Gregory, son of Alpin, King of Scotland. The name was also found in England from about the 12th century in Yorkshire and Lancashire. In Dorset, William Gregge was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1234 and later, Henry Gregge was found in the Feet of Fines for Esses in 1306. 2

The Norwegian family who produced the famous composer Edvard Greig (1843-1907), are descended from the Greggs of Fraserburgh in Aberdeen. After the Battle of Culloden in Scotland in 1746, Grieg's great-grandfather, Alexander Greig (1739-1803), travelled widely before settling in Norway. Many of Edvard's concertos are dedicated to the MacGregor Clan.

Early History of the Gricks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gricks research. Another 220 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1273, 1379, 1488, 1502, 1522, 1567, 1735, 1739, 1759, 1788, 1798, 1803, 1819, 1878 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gricks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gricks Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Gricks has been written Gregg, Greig and others.

Early Notables of the Gricks family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was John Gregg (1798-1878), Bishop of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross, born 4 Aug. 1798 at Cappa, near Ennis, where his father, Richard Gregg, lived on a small property. After attending a classical school in Ennis, he entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1819, where he took a sizarship, a scholarship, and many prizes...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gricks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gricks family to Ireland

Some of the Gricks family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gricks family

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Gricks: James Gregg who landed in New Hampshire in 1718; Hugh Gregg settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1766; Alexander Gregg settled in South Carolina in 1820.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)