Grimshaw Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Grimshaw last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Grimshaw last name
Meaning of the Grimshaw last name: "dark wood" or "Grim's wood". Grimshaw is an English surname from places near Blackburn in Lancashire, from the Norse name Grímr or a word for "spectre", and sceaga, "small wood". The last name is common in Lancashire. The Victorian painter Atkinson Grimshaw is known for his moonlit town scenes.
Arms associated with the Grimshaw name
Heraldry uses few colours, so a coat of arms associated with the Grimshaw surname reads at a distance.
Get your full Grimshaw family history
This is only a glimpse of the Grimshaw story. The full Grimshaw history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Grimshaw coat of arms. Get the full Grimshaw report.
Grimshaw name FAQ
What does the Grimshaw name mean?
"dark wood" or "Grim's wood". Common variants include Grimshawe, Grimsha.
Where does the Grimshaw surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Grimshaw coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Grimshaw coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).