Surname Grobb - Meaning and Origin
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Grobb: What does the surname Grobb mean?
The last name Grobb is of Germanic origin. The name was derived from the Old Germanic grof, which means “thick” or “coarse”. This term was likely used to describe someone who was strong, burly, or sturdy. Over time, the name Grobb became a common surname.
The earliest known record of the name is from Germany in 1250, when a Goter Grobb was listed as a witness in a document. This indicates that the Grobb family was likely well-established in Germany by that point.
Today, the last name Grobb is concentrated in Germany, though it has spread to other countries throughout Europe and beyond. In the United States, it is most common in Wisconsin and Minnesota. In England, the Grobb family is mainly found in the northwestern region.
The Grobb family takes great pride in its heritage. Members are known to be loyal and hard-working, kept with their families and communities. Although the name has evolved over time, its original meaning of strength and determination still stands.
Order DNA origin analysisGrobb: Where does the name Grobb come from?
The last name Grobb is commonly found in parts of Europe, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands. It is also an uncommon but not rare surname in other Western and Eastern European countries including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden, Finland and Estonia. In the United States, it is an uncommon but not rare surname, with an estimated 3,000 people bearing the name.
The surname Grobb is thought to have German origins. The name is derived from the Old High German “grab”, meaning “grave” or “ditch”, which evolved to the modern spelling. This suggests that it may have been an occupational name for someone who dug ditches or graves. It could also have been derived from an old village name, derived from “grab” or “grave”.
The name is most prominent in The Netherlands, where it is the 643rd most common surname. In Germany, it is more widespread, and it was the 950th most common surname in 2009. In the United States, the name is thought to have come with German and Dutch immigrants in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is most commonly found in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Missouri.
Overall, Grobb is an uncommon but not rare surname. The name is most prominent in parts of Europe, particularly Germany and The Netherlands, and has been in the United States for several centuries.
Variations of the surname Grobb
The surname Grobb has multiple variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin due to the evolution of language and migration of people across continents and languages. The primary spelling of Grobb is found in many early parts of Hungary and Austria, where it is a Germanic name derived from a Middle High German term of Grobbe or Grobbi, which refer to someone of stocky build or from a stocky family. A variant spelling found in German and Austrian records is Grobbe or Grobe.
In the Netherlands, the spelling has evolved into the name De Grobbe or Degroeve. In Britain the surname evolved into Grover or Groves. Grimm’s German name dictionary lists an additional variant spelling in Switzerland as Van Grobb.
In the United States the spelling of the surname Grobb has changed to Grobe, Growe, Groves, Groves Graves and Graf. In the early records of Pennsylvania the name appears as Graff, Groff, and Gruff.
The meaning of the surname Grobb intends a sense of stoutness or sturdiness, and thus there is a strong connection in surnames such as Grobler, Graber, Grobmeyer or Grobmayr. While the surnames are likely a geographic evolution of the original Grobb, they can still be considered from the same origin.
In addition to numerous variant spellings, the surname Grobb is also found in place names such as Grobbendonk, Netherlands, and Grobb-Stork, Belgium, clearly linking the surname back to its origins. Similarly, surnames such as Grobbens, Grobben, Grobbin, Grobbe, and Grobbi are still found today in numerous countries.
Famous people with the name Grobb
- Meganne Grobb: opera singer, winner of the 2016 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
- Frank Grobb: World War I Medal of Honor recipient
- Troy Grobb: former professional Canadian football player
- Jared Grobb: professional volleyball player from the United States
- Denny Grobb: former professional baseball pitcher
- R.V. Grobb Sr.: American Indian activist, faith leader, and Founding Board Member of Native American Rights Fund
- Frank Grobb: World War I Medal of Honor recipient
- Rob Grobb: former professional Canadian football player
- Chris Grobb: former professional ice hockey player
- Herm Grobb: American Major League Baseball relief pitcher
- Lauren Grobb: former professional softball pitcher and member of the United States Women's National Team
- Graham Grobb: American Major League Baseball pitcher
- Steve Grobb: former professional baseball pitcher
- James Grobb: former professional American football player
- Annika Grobb: professional downhill mountain bike racer
- Lauren Grobb Sakellariou: American ice dancer
- Amy Grobb: professional competitive eater