Surname Greatheed - Meaning and Origin

Greatheed: What does the surname Greatheed mean?

The last name Greatheed is believed to have originated in England in the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from a locality near the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. The place name 'Greet Hide' or 'Grete Heide' is recorded in the 13th-century Lancashire entry in the 'Testa de Neville'. This is the closest sounding place name to the surname 'Greatheed'.

The official meaning of 'Greet Hide' is believed to be 'grazing land with thickets' derived from the Old English words 'greot' and 'hidas'. 'Greot' means thicket, or brushwood, and 'hidas' means land suitable for grazing. It is believed this place name refers to an area where small cattle were allowed to graze (small cattle are less likely to damage trees and other vegetation).

The initial syllables of 'Greet Hide' were broken off and turned into the surname Greatheed, meaning "dweller at the great thicket".

The early spelling of Greatheed was Greathead, and during the sixteenth century, variants of the name began to spread throughout Europe. It has been found in Germany, Holland, France, and the Scandinavian countries.

Today, Greatheed is still used as a surname by many families in English-speaking countries. It is fairly common, especially in the UK and Canada. Greatheed is a reminder of the small hidden places of green grazing land that have been so important to many family histories in Britain and beyond.

Greatheed: Where does the name Greatheed come from?

The last name Greatheed is fairly uncommon today, but can be found in various locations around the world. A majority of Greatheed families are of British origin, many of whom settled in the British Isles before the modern nation-states were formed. However, today the last name Greatheed can be found in many other countries, as families moved and intermarried. North America is a location notable in its amount of Greatheed families who have emigrated over the centuries, both within the United States and Canada.

In Australia, families bearing the last name Greatheed have been present since colonial times. An Australian census has specifically noted the presence of several groups with the name Greatheed who migrated from both England and Ireland. Additionally, members of the Greatheed family have taken up residence in South Africa, where both British settlers and indigenous peoples carry the Greatheed name.

Finally, Greatheed families can be found in countries closer to the family's origins – such as Ireland, England and Scotland – as people have chosen to stay in their homeland, or return after experiencing life abroad. This variety of locations has served to spread the name Greatheed far and wide, ultimately leading to it's presence in various locations around the world.

Variations of the surname Greatheed

Greatheed is a surname of British origin, derived from the word 'Greet Hythe'. Hythe is an old English word meaning 'landing place, harbour, or gate'. The surname can be spelled in a few variants such as Greathead, Greathed, Greatheead, Greet Hythe and Greetheat.

The Greatheed surname can be found in England where records date back to the late 17th century. It is particularly associated with Salisbury, Wiltshire, where the first recorded spelling of the name is found in 1670 when John Greatehed was christened.

The Greatheed surname can be assumed to have its roots in maritime industry sinceHythe was an old English word related to the sea. It could have also denoted someone who was a 'person occupying a Hythe', in other words, a harbour master or someone in charge of the harbour.

It was also a term to describe someone who was a merchant and had a license to trade. The Greatheed surname may have been used to describe such people. As the surname spread through England, it is likely that many of the variants spellings evolved due to the accents of different regional dialects.

In addition to Greathead, Greathed, Greatheead, Greet Hythe and Greetheat, some other surnames of the same origin could include Grethe, Gretehead, Greeteshed, Grithhead, Grettied, Greethout, Gretheart, Greethite and Gretthahd.

Famous people with the name Greatheed

• Charlotte Greatheed: English fashion stylist.
• John Greatheed: British politician and Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
• James Greatheed: British naval officer and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Jamaica.
• Tony Greatheed: British actor, director and theatre producer.
• Jocelyn Greatheed: Jamaican poet and novelist.
• Humfry Greatheed: British landscape painter.
• Frederick Greatheed: British landscape painter.
• Ella Greatheed: British painter and illustrator.
• Nicola Greatheed: British athlete and Olympic Sprinter.
• Samuel Greatheed: British politician, MP for Taunton.

Other surnames

GreatheadGreathed