Grimsley

Meaning: (From the Dark Meadow, from an English surname of unknown meaning (originally from the name of a lost or unidentified place in England, possibly in the Midlands, where it is now concentrated)

Recorded in several spelling forms including Grimcy, Grimsey, Grimsley, Grimsy and Grimsie, this is a surname which is generally accepted as being of English origins. It is clearly locational, although no such place appears to be recorded in any of the known (surname) spellings in England. The only near spelling is Grimsay, an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. However if this island is the spiritual home of the surname, we have not been able to establish any conclusive Scottish recordings, all early recordings being found in England. In our opinion the surname is a development of the village name of Grimley, in Worcestershire, or it is from a now lost village. Grimley, recorded as "Grimanlea" in the famous Domesday Book of England for the year 1086, has the meaning of "Grima's farm", from Old English pre 7th century personal name "Grima", meaning a Mask or a Masked Person, or even a Ghost! As such it was originally a byname bestowed on male children to secure the protection of the gods at a time when the fear of the supernatural was at its height. The Old English word "Leah", can describe a Wood or a Clearing in a Wood, or even a farm, whilst the "eg" now "ey" in the modern surname, if it is not a development of "Leah", may refer to an Island. Early examples of the name recording taken from early surviving church registers of the post medieval period include: Frauncis, the daughter of John Grimesley, christened at Upton on Severn on September 27th 1563, Mary Grymsey who married Robert Bossock at St. James church, Clerkenwell, in the city of London, on June 7th 1612, and Robert Grimsey, who married Elizabeth Buffitt on November 11th 1759, at St Giles Cripplegate, also in the city of London.

Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Grimsley#ixzz4HYkC5OXl)

Origin: (English)

Pronunciation: (GR
IHMZLiy)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I really like the meaning From the Dark Meadow as it gives it a bit of a creepy aspect at first but when you look at it closer it does seem very beautiful or strong depending on the gender you apply it to. I’ve been thinking of naming a quirky, eccentric, smart and sassy female character this if the right story comes about, its forming in my head but as of right now I’m already writing a novel so it will be on my to be written list if the story develops further in my brain. It has a very fairy-tale like quality which I like a lot as well. The 7^th century meanings too give it a darker vibe, but given that eras beliefs its not surprising, but that can be avoided or exploited by an author depending on if it matters to their story and their characters life. Also because it has such a long history of use it would fit in just about any era whether as a first name or a surname.