Grigor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The sea-swept Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Grigor family. Their name comes from the given name Gregory. The Gaelic form of the name was Mac Griogain, which translates as son of Gregory.

Early Origins of the Grigor family

The surname Grigor was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, as their origins can be traced back to Griogair, son of the eighth century King Alpin of Scotland, the High King of the Scots and Picts who died in 860 AD. Hence, their famous motto translates from Gaelic as 'Royal is my blood.' They are the principal branch of the Siol Alpine whose representative, King Kenneth the Hardy, was son of MacAlpin, the first King of the Scots.

Early History of the Grigor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grigor research. Another 491 words (35 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1587, 1603, 1640, 1671, 1734, 1888 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Grigor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grigor Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Grigor has been written as MacGregor, MacGrigor, MacGrioghair (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Grigor family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grigor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Grigor family to Ireland

Some of the Grigor 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.

Grigor migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Grigor or a variant listed above:

Grigor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Grigor, who landed in New York in 1827 1

Grigor migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Grigor Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Alexander Grigor, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 2
Miss Agnes Grigor, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 2
Mr. Robert Grigor, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 2
Miss Jessie Grigor, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 2
Miss Christina Grigor, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lady Egidia" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1861 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Grigor (post 1700) +

William Alexander Murray Grigor OBE (b. 1939), Scottish film maker, writer and exhibition curator, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
James Grigor (1811-1848), English botanist
George Grigor (1916-1982), Scottish-born, Canadian ice hockey NHL center who played for the Chicago Black Hawks
Grigor Gurzadyan (1922-2014), Armenian astronomer, and pioneer of space astronomy

The Grigor 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: 'S Rioghal Mo Dhream
Motto Translation: Royal is my blood.

Citations +

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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html