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Grey: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

de Grae · Norman 'de Grey' (of Grey, some spot in England, probably) or Norman 'le Grey' (the grey, from the colour of the hair)

Woulfe (1923) gives Grey and Gray under de Grae, as Norman 'de Grey' ('of Grey, some spot in England, probably') or Norman 'le Grey' ('the grey, from the colour of the hair'). He says both forms occur in early Irish records, 'de Grey' being by far the more common. He separately prints Irish-language names, Liath and Mac Cúilriabhaigh, that carry Grey or Gray as an English form.

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Coat of arms associated with the Grey surname
Irish formde Grae
MeaningNorman 'de Grey' (of Grey, some spot in England, probably) or Norman 'le Grey' (the grey, from the colour of the hair)
CountiesAntrim, Down, Londonderry and Dublin
Other spellings1

Origin of the Grey name

Woulfe: Norman 'de Grey' ('of Grey, some spot in England, probably') or Norman 'le Grey' ('the grey, from the colour of the hair'); 'both forms occur in early Irish records, but de Grey was by far the more common.'[1]

  1. 1535Webb: Lord Leonard Grey is appointed Lord-Justice of Ireland in January.[7]
  2. 1541Webb: Lord Leonard Grey is executed on 28 July after conviction on charges including intimacy with native chieftains.[7]
  3. 1580Webb: Sir Arthur Grey, Lord Wilton, lands in Dublin on 12 August as Lord-Deputy.[8]
  4. 1580Woulfe (Eustace entry): James Eustace and allies inflict a crushing defeat on Lord Grey at Glenmalure, in the autumn.[4]
  5. 1798Webb: Bessie Grey carries a green flag at the battle of Ballynahinch on 13 June and perishes in the retreat.[9]
  6. 1890Matheson: 117 birth entries for Gray including spelling varieties (97 spelled Gray), Ulster 70.[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. Antrim, Down, Londonderry and DublinMatheson 1890: Gray 'principally found' in Antrim, Down, Londonderry, and Dublin.[5]

Notable people named Grey

Lord Leonard Greyd. 1541Webb: son of the Marquis of Dorset; Lord-Justice of Ireland from 1535; executed 28 July 1541.[7]
Sir Arthur Grey, Lord WiltonWebb: landed in Dublin on 12 August 1580 as Lord-Deputy, succeeding Sir William Pelham.[8]
Bessie Greyd. 1798Webb: an Irish heroine who followed her lover and brother into the battle of Ballynahinch (13 June 1798) and perished in the retreat.[9]

Other spellings

Gray[1][6]

The Grey coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Grey surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Grey crest gifts

Clan Grey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapSQ72 Classic Cap - Grey Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Grey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45

Grey surname: questions

Is Grey an Irish name?

Woulfe gives Grey and Gray under de Grae, as a Norman name (Norman 'de Grey' or 'le Grey'), both found in early Irish records. He separately prints Irish-language names, Liath and Mac Cúilriabhaigh, that have Grey or Gray as an English form.[1][2][3]

What does the surname Grey mean?

Woulfe gives two Norman sources: 'de Grey', 'of Grey, some spot in England, probably', and 'le Grey', 'the grey, from the colour of the hair'.[1]

Is Grey the same name as Gray?

Woulfe prints Grey and Gray together under de Grae, and Matheson's 1901 list prints Grey among the varieties under Gray.[1][6]

Where in Ireland were people named Gray found in 1890?

Matheson found Gray 'principally' in Antrim, Down, Londonderry and Dublin; 70 of the 117 entries (including spelling varieties) were in Ulster.[5]

Sources

  1. de Grae — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-grae.php
  2. Liath — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/l/liath.php
  3. Mac Cúilriabhaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cuilriabhaigh.php
  4. Iústás (Eustace) — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/i/iustas.php
  5. Gray — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/gray.php
  6. Gray — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/752.php
  7. Grey, Lord Leonard — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/LordLeonardGrey.php
  8. Grey, Sir Arthur — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/SirArthurGrey.php
  9. Grey, Bessie — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/BessieGrey.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).