Surname Grigelat - Meaning and Origin

Grigelat: What does the surname Grigelat mean?

The last name Grigelat is of French origin. It is derived from the old French term 'girel', meaning 'a person who was responsible for drawing up the work plan for a manual worker'. This term was commonly used in northern France during the medieval period.

The name could have been used to describe someone who was employed in a managerial role in a factory or other workplace. As the name evolved, it came to be associated with someone who had strong organizational skills and was reliable.

Grigelat is derived from the word 'gris', which means 'gray' or 'grey'. This could indicate that the original holder of the surname had a distinctive silver-gray hair colour. Alternatively, the word 'gris' could have evolved more broadly to mean 'skilled', 'professional', or 'competent'. This might have been a reference to the reputation of the holder of the surname for displaying an exemplary level of skill and dependability in their work.

Regardless of the etymology of the surname, its meaning could be interpreted as describing a person who is well organised, reliable, and highly skilled in their work.

Grigelat: Where does the name Grigelat come from?

The last name Grigelat is most commonly found in central Europe, in particular Germany and Switzerland. Historically, the Grigelat surname was predominantly tied to Bavarian families in southern Germany. In more recent years, their influence has grown to neighbor countries such as Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Poland, and Romania.

The Grigelat name is often associated with the Austrian-Bavarian surname Grügel. This is likely due to a shared parentage of the two surnames, with Grügel coming from a distinction of Germanic occupational roots and Grigelat deriving from a Germanic personal name. The earliest known Coats of Arms for Grigelat dates back to the 15th century.

Variations of the last name Grigelat can be traced to countries such as Netherlands, Italy, and France. Research has also seen some American families starting in New York in the late 19th century who adopted the name Grigelat.

Despite its Germanic origins, Grigelat is most common in Switzerland, with 43% of the Grigelat population living in Switzerland (as of 2020). Other countries with a significant percentage of Grigelat populations include Germany, the United States, Belgium, Israel, the Netherlands, and South Africa.

Variations of the surname Grigelat

Grigelat is a patronymic surname derived from the medieval Latin name Grigaleus, ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic *grīgaz and *leudaz, meaning “powerful host”.

The variants, spellings and surnames associated with the name Grigelat are numerous and include:

Grizelle, Gridel, Gridelé, Gridel, Gridella, Grille, Griffal, Griffele, Griffelé, Griflet, Grigel, Grigelato, Grigelle, Grigeli, Grigelit, Grigelet, Grigelli, Grigelot, Grigelotti, Grigelus, Grigelut, Grizelle, Grodella, Grodielle, Grodièle, Grudel, Grudelle, Grudilli, Gruigel, Guigel, Guel, Guella, Gular, Gulart, Gulli, and Gullo.

The surname is found in France, Belgium, Hungary, and other countries, with many variants and patronymic forms. In France, it is most common in the Beaucaire region. In many cases, the spelling has been affected by the phonetic rules of the region where it is found.

In some cases, the surname has been changed to other forms due to immigration and assimilation in the receiving country. In the United Kingdom, the surname is sometimes spelled Grigollat. In the United States, the surname is sometimes spelled Gridley or Grizell.

Grigelat is an unusual and uncommon name, but there are many forms of it due to its various spellings and geographic locations it is found in. No matter the spelling, it is all the same family name with the same Proto-Germanic roots.

Famous people with the name Grigelat

• Pat Grigelat: Pat Grigelat is a professional snowboarder who competed in the Winter X Games from 2002 to 2008 and was a four-time gold medalist.
• Joe Grigelat: Joe Grigelat is an independent comic artist and author who has had his work published in a number of publications.
• Col Grigelat: Col Grigelat is an Australian fantasy novelist and short story writer.
• Eric Grigelat: Eric Grigelat is a professional photographer known for his unique style and innovative work.
• Stacey Grigelat: Stacey Grigelat is an Australian actress and professional dancer who has performed in multiple musicals and theatre productions.
• Paul Grigelat: Paul Grigelat is the former chief executive officer of the Australian Football League Players Association (AFLPA).
• Rob Grigelat: Rob Grigelat is a former American collegiate basketball player, best known for his time with the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
• Alan Grigelat: Alan Grigelat is a former professional ice hockey player who spent most of his career in the AHL and ECHL.
• Ken Grigelat: Ken Grigelat is a retired Canadian professional hockey player who played for multiple teams between 1958 and 1967.
• Monique Grigelat: Monique Grigelat is a former Miss Massachusetts USA and a contestant in the Miss USA 2006 pageant.

Other surnames

Grigeleit