Surname Grew - Meaning and Origin
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Grew: What does the surname Grew mean?
The last name Grew is of English origin. It is derived from the Old English personal name Grew, which is a form of the name Gregory. The name Gregory was derived from the Latin name Gregorius, meaning "watchful" or "alert". The Latin form implies a person who is always on guard, a rumor spreader, or an informant. Historically, the name could also mean a nonviolent person, as well as someone who was capable of being a gentle and kind soul.
The name Grew has many famous people associated with it. For example, Sir Neville Grew was a lawyer best known for his successful defense of Labour MP F lix Greene in 1959. Sir George Grew was a diplomat and aide to Winston Churchill during World War II. The name can also be found amongst a number of actors, including the late Richard Grew and actress Emma Grew.
The name Grew is associated with strength of character as well as vigilance. It denotes a person who is both mindful and protective. That being said, it should also be noted that those bearing the name can be kind and gentle people.
Order DNA origin analysisGrew: Where does the name Grew come from?
The last name Grew is a shortened version of the French last name Groux which was used by a few scattered families in France and England. Today, the last name Grew is most commonly found in the United States. According to Ancestry.com, currently, the name is most frequent in South Carolina, Mississippi, and Florida. In 2014, it was estimated that about 1,000 people in the United States had the last name Grew.
The surname of Grew is believed to have originated within the British Isles and can be traced back to many different families. It is possible that many of these families had origins in France, Ireland, and Scotland.
In England, records of the surname Grew appear as early as 1163 in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk. Other mentions of the name include a Sir George Grew of Castlemorton in Worcestershire and a Thomas Grew at Neckham in Lincolnshire.
The name Grew is also found in Ireland where records of the name first appear in the 1500s. In Scotland, the earliest reference to the name Grew is found in the mid-1600s. Records show the Grews were a prominent family in the Coigach region of Scotland.
The spread of the last name Grew into the United States began in the 1700s. The name is found in states such as Delaware, Georgia, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Today, the last name Grew is most commonly found in the United States, but it also has a presence in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Scotland.
Variations of the surname Grew
The surname Grew has multiple variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Grew is generally an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gríofa (meaning "descendant of Gríofa). While Grew is the most commonly used form there are variations such as Greeo, Grow, Grewk, Greew, Greu, and Greue.
Variants of Grew and similar surnames include Gray, Greas, Greaves, Greer, Greeves, Grey, Grieve, Griave, Griev, Grieve, Grievets, Grievett, Groves, Groff, Groofe, Groove, Groover, Grove, Grover, Gruv, and Grye.
Many of these variants can be found throughout the anglo-saxon countries, but a great number of them have specifically Scottish and Irish origins.
The Grey family, for example, is a prominent family in Great Britain, contributing to both politics and the monarchy. This family has Scottish and Irish origins.
The Greaves family, on the other hand, can trace its early roots back to Scotland and is linked to both English and Scottish roots. The Greaves family is also one of the oldest recorded families in the UK and has had a major influence on the language, arts, and culture of Britain.
In Ireland, Ó Gríofa is the most popular variant of the Grew surname. It is a fairly common Irish name, with the prefix ó indicating a male progenitor. The name can be spelled in numerous ways, including Gríofa, Gríofai, Gríofaigh, Gríofaí, and Gríofú.
No matter what the spelling, the surname Grew is a testament to the fact that family names are often passed through generations and can spread as far as the families themselves travel.
Famous people with the name Grew
- Georgette Grew: Georgette Grew is a French film actress best known for her roles in the films Airplane! and Amélie.
- Robert Grew: Robert Grew is a British politician, businessman, and barrister who served as the Lord Mayor of London from 2001 to 2002.
- Winthrop Grew: Winthrop Grew is a former chairman and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and was a partner at ENH Associates, an investment firm.
- Frank Grew: Frank Grew was a prolific industrialist and philanthropist in New Haven, Connecticut.
- Carl Grew: Carl Grew was a prominent German astronomer who specialized in celestial mechanics and theoretical astronomy.
- Richard Grew: Richard Grew is a British television producer and writer best known for his work on popular UK shows including Doctor Who and Coronation Street.
- Stacey Grew: Stacey Grew is an American Olympic swimmer and gold medalist in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
- Charles Grew: Charles Grew was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.th Grew served as Bishop of Portland from 1925 to 1945.
- Richard Grew: Richard Grew was an influential British politician and Cabinet minister during the early 19th century.
- Oliver Grew: Oliver Grew is an English footballer who plays for Hampton & Richmond Borough.