Grist History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The surname Grist is a name of ancient French origin. It was a Breton name given to a person with gray hair. The name Grist is derived from the Old French word "gris," which means "gray," and was often given to someone with gray hair.

Early Origins of the Grist family

The surname Grist was first found in Brittany where this distinguished family held a family seat at Motte, and were prominent members of the aristocracy.

Early History of the Grist family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grist research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1789 is included under the topic Early Grist History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grist Spelling Variations

There were a great number of spelling variations in French surnames. One reason for this was the wide variety of cultural influences present in France during the early development of the French language. The many spelling variations of the name include Gris, Griss, Grix, LeGris, Legris, Legriss and many more.

Early Notables of the Grist family

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

Grist Ranking

In the United States, the name Grist is the 16,524^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Grist migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Grist has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Grist were

Grist Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Grist, who landed in Maryland in 1666 2
Henry Grist, who arrived in Maryland in 1667 2

Grist Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mare Grist, aged 80, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 2

Grist Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Miss Alice Grist, aged 12, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Mrs. Elecia Grist, aged 36, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Miss Evangeline Grist, aged 10, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Mr. John K. Grist, aged 36, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
August Grist, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1869 2

Grist migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Grist Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Grist, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "David Lyon" on 29th April 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Mr. George Grist, (b. 1816), aged 22, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 15 years for assault, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mary A. Grist, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Sultana" 5
Mary A Grist, aged 21, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1851 5
Emily Grist, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Victoria Regia"

Contemporary Notables of the name Grist (post 1700) +

Joseph Grist, American politician, Mayor of Rockville, Connecticut, 1922 6
Joe T. Grist Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1996; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Mississippi 1st District, 2000; Member of Mississippi State House of Representatives 23rd District, 2001 6
Mr. Michael Raymond Grist O.B.E., Welsh Area Business Manager in Cymru-Wales for Crown Prosecution Service, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Law and Order 7
Leonard Grist Blyth (1920-1995), Welsh international rugby union flanker
John Grist Brainerd (1904-1988), American electrical engineer known for his pioneering work in mainframes building ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer, recipient of the IEEE Founders Medal in 1975
Neil Grist Cashion Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from North Carolina 5th District, 1996 8

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-lyon
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SULTANA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Sultana.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, July 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html