Grinham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Grinham comes from the family having resided in the chapelry of Greeham in the parish of Thatcham in the county of Berkshire. The place-name is derived from the Old English Greenham, which refers to either a green river-bed or a green homestead. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Greenham, a tything, in the parish of Ashbrittle, union of Wellington, hundred of Milverton in Somerset. 2

Greenan Castle is a 16th century tower house, around 2.5 miles south-west of Ayr in South Ayrshire, Scotland

Early Origins of the Grinham family

The surname Grinham was first found in Somerset, where Simon de Gryndham was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1268. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Ralph de Greneham, Suffolk and Ralph de Grenham was also listed in Suffolk, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III. 4

Early History of the Grinham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grinham research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1535, 1559, 1564, 1567, 1594 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Grinham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grinham Spelling Variations

Grinham has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Greenham, Greenam, Greenum and others.

Early Notables of the Grinham family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Ralph Greenham of Suffolk; and Richard Greenham or Grenham (1535?-1594), an early Puritan Minister, at Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire. He "was probably born about 1535, and went at an...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grinham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Grinham family to Ireland

Some of the Grinham 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.

Grinham migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Grinhams to arrive on North American shores:

Grinham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Karl Grinham, aged 18, who settled in America, in 1896

Grinham Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Louis James Grinham, aged 18, who landed in America from London, England, in 1907
Charlotte M. Grinham, aged 26, who landed in America from Watford, England, in 1907
George Grinham, aged 59, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1908
Harry Grinham, aged 31, who landed in America from Crowbourough, England, in 1910

Contemporary Notables of the name Grinham (post 1700) +

James Grinham (1798-1822), English amateur cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1822 to 1835
Judy Grinham MBE (b. 1939), British gold medalist Olympic swimmer
Rachael Margaret Grinham (b. 1977), Australian professional squash player from Queensland

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)