GREATOREX
Greatorex is a surname of English origin. The name is recorded in the Old English language, with its earliest known appearances in the sixteenth‑century parish registers of the Midlands.
The nomenclature is believed to stem from the Old English elements great, meaning large or important, and orex, translating as a wild boar. Consequently, the surname has been interpreted as “large or important wild boar”. It is probable that the name began as a nickname, applied to an individual who displayed the strength or fierceness associated with the animal.
Other evidence indicates a locational derivation from the Midlands. The place name Great Rakes in Derbyshire, itself derived from the Northern Middle English usage of great together with the Old English hrace, meaning path or track, was associated with lead‑mining activity. Several lead‑mines, including Greatrake Mines in Carsington, bear the same root. The surname, therefore, may also have been adopted by families connected with these localities.
The modern spelling Greatorex occurs alongside a number of variants. These include Greaterex, Greatrakes, Gratrex and Greatrex. The first recorded spelling of the family name is that of Thomas Greatrax, dated February 2nd 1564, when he witnessed the christening of his son Thomas at Seighford, Staffordshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the First.
Subsequent church records provide further attestations of the surname within the Midland counties. In 1597 the marriage of Thomas Greattrycke and Jonne Bake was recorded at Church Eaton, Staffordshire. The christening of Richard, son of Nicholas and Isabell Greatorex, was duly noted in Denby, Derbyshire, on April 9th 1609. The marriage of William Greatorex and Mary Blande took place at All Saints, Derby, on May 30th 1668.
A coat of arms has been granted to the Greatorex family. The blazon is described as “per pale black and red, three gold leopards' heads erased, pellettee, blue langued.” This heraldic badge provides an additional insight into the family's historical standing and identity.
These sources together furnish a substantive picture of the surname Greatorex, its etymological roots, geographical associations and documented bearers throughout the early modern period in England.
Typical given names associated with the Greatorex surname
Male
- Barry
- Christopher
- David
- Derek
- John
- Lee
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Stephen
- Thomas
- Tom
Female
- Ann
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Fiona
- Helen
- Jane
- Kylie
- Linda
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Greatorex in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Greatorex are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Dark Chocolate Digestive.
There are approximately 2,146 people named Greatorex in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,953rd most common surname in Britain. Around 33 in a million people in Britain are named Greatorex.
Famous people named Greatorex
- Louis Greatorex - Actor
- Wilfred Greatorex - Writer (1921 to 2002)
- Walter Greatorex - Composer (1877 to 1949)
- Theophilus Greatorex - (1864 to 1933)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.