Surname Greathed - Meaning and Origin

Greathed: What does the surname Greathed mean?

The last name Greathed is an English patronymic surname, meaning "son of Great". It likely originated in the English county of Essex, as the earliest records of the surname date back there to the mid-1700s. It can also be found in other areas of England and Ireland, as well as in colonial America.

Experts believe the surname could have derived from an old personal name meaning "fits of great intensity," derived from the Old English words "greot" (great) and "hæð" (fury). It could also be an occupational name for someone who was great at a trade or craft like blacksmithing or carpentry.

Today, the surname Greathed is not a common name, and researchers believe there are only a few dozen known holders of the name. It is an interesting and rare surname that can be found in the history books of many countries around the world. It is a reminder of the roots of its ancestral carriers and its unique origin.

Greathed: Where does the name Greathed come from?

The last name Greathed is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, especially in the home counties of Surrey, Oxfordshire, and Hampshire. It is also found in smaller numbers in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

In the United Kingdom, Greathed is a relatively uncommon name. According to the Great Britain Names Database, there are only 41 people holding the Greathed surname living in the UK today. In the 2021 UK Census, the most populous region with individuals bearing Greathed was Hampshire, with 17 people living there with the surname.

In the United States, the surname Greathed is more scattered, with only an estimated 106 people having adopted the surname as of 2000. In other countries, the surname is rare, with only a few individuals bearing the name in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, according to WorldNames PublicProfiler.

The etymology of the surname is difficult to definitively uncover; it’s most likely that Greathed is derived from Old English as a topographic or habitational name, with ‘grate’ meaning grassy slope, and ‘héd’ meaning headland. Put together, the thought behind the surname being that somebody lived in the area of the grassy headland.

Overall, the surname Greathed is now fairly uncommon compared to its heyday in the UK during the 19th century, when the Greathed surname was much more prevalent. Even though it has become more sparsely spread, it still resides in the UK and other countries today.

Variations of the surname Greathed

Greathed is a surname of English origin, derived from the pre-7th century Olde English word "graethed" meaning gatekeeper. There are several variants and spellings of this surname, including Greatheed, Greated, Greeted, Greathead, Greethead, Grathead, Graitehead, Gretehed, Grethead, Greatasters, Greatmonds, Gratmonds and Gretheaud.

The Greathed surname is historically associated with Cornwall, Southwestern England, where the earliest references of the surname can be found. The Greathed name appears on deeds and records of the area dating as far back as 1284. Members of this family were known for their skill in horsemanship and were frequent participants in events such as fox hunting.

The Greathed name is found in many other countries, in various forms. In Scotland, for example, it appears as Greatheid or Gretheid. In Ireland, variants of the name include Greed and Greeth. In South Africa and Canada, Grethead and Grathead are more common spellings. Other countries where the name has been adopted include the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Finland and Norway.

The Greathed family should not be confused with the Grethe family, which has its own distinct origins. However, both families have been recorded as far back as the 1400s in England, indicating a possible relation.

Overall, the Greathed surname is fairly uncommon but is found in many countries throughout the world. Despite its anglicised spelling, the name has roots in the pre-7th century Olde English language, giving it a long and unique history.

Famous people with the name Greathed

• Sir Edward Greathed: British Royal Air Force officer and aviator during World War II.
• Lieutenant General Sir William Greathed: Soldier, Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in India in the early 1800s.
• Reverend Henry Greathed: Vicar of St John the Baptist Church in Plymouth, England from 1786-1821.
• Sir Edward Greathed: English Whig politician and soldier in the 17th century.
• Vincent Greathed: British racing driver who competed in Formula One during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• John Greathed: Australian politician who was a member of the House of Representatives from 1940 to 1963.
• William Greathed: English cricketer of the 1830s and 1840s.
• Sir Herbert Greathed: British army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War I.
• James Greathed: British Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis from 1812-1818.
• Percy Greathed: British athlete who competed at the 1908 Olympic Games in London.
• Raymond Greathed: English footballer who played for Swansea Town, Wrexham and Sochaux in the 1950s.
• David Greathed: British theatre director who produced and directed various plays in the 1950s and 1960s.
• Andrew Greathed: British poet, actor and broadcaster who was a founding member of the Mersey Poets.
• Jack Greathed: British illustrator, cartoonist and caricaturist who worked extensively for the Daily Mirror.

Other surnames

GreatheadGreatheedGreathouse