Show ContentsGrindrod History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Grindrod family

The surname Grindrod was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Grindrod family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grindrod research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Grindrod History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grindrod Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Greenroyd, Greenrod, Grindrod, Grindroyd, Grinrod, Grenrod, Grenroyd and many more.

Early Notables of the Grindrod family

More information is included under the topic Early Grindrod Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Grindrod migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Grindrod Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Grindrod, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1864 1

Grindrod 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:

Grindrod Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Nathaniel Grindrod, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th October 1863 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Grindrod (post 1700) +

  • John M. Grindrod, American politician, Candidate for Wisconsin State Senate 33rd District, 1946 3
  • Benjamin Grindrod, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 7th District, 1926; Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1936, 1948, 1952 3
  • Nic Grindrod (b. 1975), English racing driver
  • Peter Grindrod CBE, British mathematician, Professor of Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford
  • Simon Grindrod, South African former National Deputy Leader of the Independent Democrats (2007-2008)
  • Phil Grindrod (b. 1963), British cinematographer, active for thirty years from 1933 to 1963
  • David Grindrod, British theatre and television casting director who has worked primarily with Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • Sir John Grindrod (1980-1989), English-born, Australian Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane (1920-2009), Primate of Australia (1982-1989)


  1. 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)
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, July 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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