Surname Grehan - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'G'
Grehan: What does the surname Grehan mean?
The last name Grehan is of Irish origin and is one of the many Anglicized forms of the Gaelic-Irish surname Ó Gréacháin. The derivation comes from the personal name Gréachán which means 'Little person with rough or severe look'.
The Grehan family were believed to have been descendents of the Heremon dynasty, which was descended from the Gaelic High King Niall of the Nine Hostages and spread across Ireland from the provinces of Connaught and Leinster.
In medieval times, the Grehans held prominent positions as lords, warriors and lords of the manor. They were territorially based in the small villages of Kilmoily and Ballintober, located in the ancient kingdom of Thomond. The family also had impressive strongholds throughout central Ireland and held positions of authority at a number of monasteries and churches.
The family is still known for holding strong traditional values and pride in their Gaelic heritage. Many descendants of the Grehan family still remain in Ireland, although the name is now more commonly found throughout the United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, where many members of the Grehan family emigrated in search of a new life.
Order DNA origin analysisGrehan: Where does the name Grehan come from?
The last name Grehan is most commonly found in Ireland and the United Kingdom. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name O'Greagain, which is derived from the Gaelic word for branch, "grean".
It is believed that the Grehan family originated in County Leitrim, with the earliest recorded spelling being Grehanne, which appears on a map of the area in 1580. Records show that by 1789, the Grehan family had expanded to seven families.
Today, the Grehan surname is still documented in the Irish census records. In the 2018 census, Grehan was ranked as the 1,206th most popular surname in Ireland, with over 660 people registered with this last name.
The Grehan surname is also found in the United Kingdom. A 1990s study of British surnames found that the Grehan surname was more frequent in the northeast of England, specifically in the county of Cleveland. A later 2015 study of the most popular surnames in the United Kingdom found that the name Grehan ranked as the 17,104th in the country.
Apart from Europe, Grehan is also present across the globe. In the United States, Grehan was first documented in the 1800s. Its prevalence in the States has grown significantly since then - the 2000 US census listed Grehan as one of the 2,334 most popular last names in the United States, with over 2,500 people registered with this surname. Canada and Australia also have a documented presence of the Grehan last name.
Overall, the commonness of the Grehan last name has changed significantly over the centuries, with its prevalence broadly spread today across many countries.
Variations of the surname Grehan
The surname Grehan is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic “Ó Gréacháin,” which means “descendant of Gréachán.” Gréachán was an old personal name, which is derived from the Gaelic word “gréadhadh” meaning “agreement” or “covenant.”
Variants of the surname Grehan include:
Grehan
Gregan
Greig
Greigey
Greigh
Griegh
Greighan
Greighin
Greigin
Grihin
Griehin
Grighin
Gryhin
Gryhinne
O Grehane
O Grehanne
O Greaghan
O Grigin
O Grindane
O Greigane
O Grihane
O Grighin
O Gryhane
Spellings for the surname Grehan include:
Greham
Grehamn
Grehem
Greheym
Grehym
Grehymn
Greiam
Greihem
Greihim
Greiim
Grem
Gremm
Gremn
Gremen
Gremeyn
Gren
Grenn
Grenne
Grien
Grienn
Grihen
Grime
Gryme
Grymm
Grymn
Surnames with the same origin as the Grehan surname include:
Grin
Grinn
Gryne
Grein
Greine
Grinne
Grine
Griene
Grean
Greane
Green
Greene
Grene
Grehne
Gryne
Gryen
Gryene
Grighne
Grign
Grignn
Griggn
Grighn
Grignen
Grignne.
Famous people with the name Grehan
- Kevin Grehan: Irish actor; starred in films such as The Sum of All Fears and Radio Flyer.
- John Grehan: English writer and broadcaster; known for his work on military and strategic analysis.
- Magnus Grehan: Irish artist and sculptor, known for his works exploring historical, spiritual, and cultural perspectives.
- Maurice Grehan: Australian actor best known for his television and film roles.
- Declan Grehan: Irish politician, former member of the Irish Parliament.
- Dominic Grehan: Irish barrister and former Attorney General of Ireland.
- Christy Grehan: Irish director and actor; starred in films such as The Others and Terminator 3.
- Michael Grehan: Irish educationalist and former Chief Inspector of Schools in the Republic of Ireland.
- Rodney Grehan: American comedian and actor, best known for his role on the sitcom Marry Me.
- Shane Grehan: American visual effects supervisor, whose works have been featured in films such as Aquaman, Fantastic Beasts, and Avatar.