“Of Bears, Bull and Beagles!”

The origins of the name Greatrix

It was not until the Middle Ages that surnames were first introduced to distinguish between people bearing the same personal or Christian name. With the growth in documentation necessitated by the expanding administrations of medieval rulers, surnames became essential. Generally, they fall into four categories: those of local, patronymic, occupational and nickname origin. The English surname Greatorex is of local origin, being one of those surnames which is based on a place where a man once lived or where he held land. In this instance, it means "at the great ridge", from residence by this topographical feature. Alternatively, it may mean "of the great rakes", from residence thereby.

There are several early references to the name. The London marriage licenses reveal that one Elizabeth Gratracks married Augustine Brandon in 1582, while Samuel Gratrix married Jane Wingfield in St. James', Clerkenwell in 1647. The variants in spelling need cause no surprise as it depends largely on the whim of the medieval clerk. Indeed, it was not until the appearance of Samuel Johnson's dictionary in the mid-eighteenth century that the spelling of English began to be standardised.