GRIBBLE: The Origins

This page gives some information we have discovered, and some opinions we have formed, about the origins of GRIBBLE as a surname.

Our Analysis

We have initiated some demographic research, both in a geographic context (at a fixed point in time), and over time in the United Kingdom. The basic conclusion we have come to:

• The GRIBBLE name, and its near variants, originated in Devon, England
• There are virtually no GRIBBLE baptisms outside Devon prior to 1700.
• In the mid 1700's and particularly after 1750 the number of GRIBBLE's in Cornwall suddenly begins to increase.
• The GRIBBLE's in Cornwall are mostly constrained to the area around Redruth, Camborne and Illogan, and to a lesser extent Gwennap. These are all within a 5 mile radius of each other and made up the main copper mining area of Cornwall - which between 1750 and 1850 produced most of the world's copper.
• The only other significant concentration of the name GRIBBLE, in the United Kingdom, is the London area.

These historical conclusions still remain true essentially today in the United Kingdom, based on current white page telephone book listings, although the number of listed GRIBBLE's in Gloucestershire now matches the numbers in Devon and Cornwall, and the focus on south western England is less pronounced.

Many of the GRIBBLE emigrants, to Australia, New Zealand, United States, South Africa, and other places seem to have been by miners, usually from Cornwall, and mainly in the 1800's. This is consistent with the collapse of the mining industry in Cornwall at that time.

Other Explanations

There are a number of references and stories that have come to light during the search for the origins of the GRIBBLE's:

Family Beliefs

There are a number of stories, with common threads, which are provided by various branches of the family.

The essential story, which is pretty common, is that some brothers (usually 3) emigrated from Europe (usually from the area around southern Germany or Switzerland) to Devon (sometimes Cornwall). These brothers then became the ancestors of several GRIBBLE families. Usually one family is centred at Barnstaple, Devon; another around Redruth, Cornwall; and a third family became more diffuse but remained in (southern) Devon. The Barnstaple family had interests in the wool industry, the Redruth family concentrated on mining, and the other family was more agriculturally oriented.

We think that there is little evidence to support the contention that the primary source of the family is an emigration from Europe. We have examined some of the (current) demographics of the name (allowing for more Germanic spelling variants) and the incidence is extremely low. This incidence is much below the current incidence of the GRIBBLE's in Devon and Cornwall. It is, therefore, hard to believe that the 'original' family has so nearly died out in Europe while prospering in Devon and Cornwall.

Having said this, however, the above story is interesting in that it contains some fundamentally correct assertions. The family certainly is concentrated in and around Barnstaple, Redruth and to a lesser extent the Crediton/Exeter/Bovey Tracey area in Southern Devon. The assertions about occupations are essentially correct, especially regarding the miners at Redruth (It also has to be said that most of the rest of the population in Redruth was involved with mining also!). At an extreme, given the demographics, it is not hard to see that the story provides a superficially convincing explanation of the distribution of pretty uncommon surname. It is also a historical fact that in around the late 1500's and mid 1600's (Queen Elizabeth I, King Charles II) there were several occasion on which groups of German miners were brought in and settled in Devon and Cornwall. It may well be that some of these miners had a surname similar to GRIBBLE, and as a natural part of integrating into a new country, their surnames were 'converted' to the local name of GRIBBLE and so became absorbed into the local communities.

We have yet to find any firm substantiation to the above story. We are aware there are several families in Europe with names from which GRIBBLE may possibly have derived. Some of these families also have crests and mottos. These crests and mottos are not those most commonly known amongst the various branches of the GRIBBLE family. See our page about the Crest for more!

European GRIBBLE Families

We know of a couple of GRIBBLE families who trace their roots back to Europe. Consequently, these families are unlikely to have originated in Devon or Cornwall. It is our conjecture that these GRIBBLE's typically arose by dint of English scribes and their phonetic (if variable) spelling. When emigrants names were recorded, especially if not fully literate, their aurally given names were typically transcribed by a third party. Some liberties with spelling and interpretation no doubt occurred!

• There is a branch of the GRIBBEL's, based in the USA, who trace back to Kraybuhl (say that a few times with various accents and then imagine writing it down as a third party) ...
• There is also a branch of GREBELL/GRIBBLE's still resident in England, who believe their family came to England as Huegenot refugees from France, escaping Catherine de Medici's persecutions, and changed their name to avoid being pursued on reaching England. Family lore tells that the name Gre-bell was taken from the ringing of the bells in the distance as the boats left France, with the name linked to the french for "ring the bell".

Our view is that there can be multiple derivations for a surname, and these European GRIBBLE's are an example of this.

Published References

There are a number of reference works that provide information on the origins of family names. These include:

• From A Dictionary of English Surnames by P H Reaney, 3^rd Ed with corrections and additions by R M Wilson, Oxford University Press, 1995:

• Gribble, Gribbell: Walter atte Gribbele 1330 Subsidy Rolls (Devon). From residence near a crabtree or blackthorn (ME gribbele). v also GRIMBLE.
• Grimble, Grumble, Grumell, Gribbeil, Gribble: Grimbald 1066, 1086 Doomsday Book; Grimbaldus, Grumbaldus Pancefot 1272 Forssner; Grymbald Fraunceys 1310 AssSt; Robert, William Grimbald 1153-63 Templars (O), 1207 Cur (Nth); Radulfus Grumbaldus 1185 Templars (O); Warin Grimboll 1275 RH (Sf); Martin Grumbold 1327 SRC; Richard Grymbyll 1524 SRSf. OG Grimbald 'helmet bold'. Grimbald became Gribald through assimilation of mb to bb: cf. Gribant, Guido Gribaud 1275 RH (Nf). v also
• Various illustrations of these and similar names are based on records from Northants, Oxon, Cambs, Norfolk and Suffolk. In particular, no records are taken from Devon and Cornwall.
• The claim that the GRIBBLE name as a derivative of the name GRIMBALD, originating with the Norman invasion is, in our view, is clearly disproven by examining the demographics of GRIMBALD in comparison to those of GRIBBLE. The GRIMBALD name is even less common than the GRIBBLE name, and is concentrated in the North West of England.

• From The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames by Basil Cottle, 2^nd edition, Penguin Books, 1978:

• Gribble L 'blackthorn, crab-apple tree' 16^th-century Dorset-Devon-Cornwall dialect, probably related to crab; Devon places include G- Lane in Rockbeare, G- Inn in Little Torrington, G- Bridge in Hatherleigh, Gribbelparke on Dartmoor (1386), and a man Walter atte Gribbele in Crediton (1330).

• From Handbook of Cornish Surnames by G White Pawley, 1972:

• GRIBBLE - from cryb-a-bell: the distant ridge, early spelling being Gribbell. Found in mid- and west of the County.
• While this is sometimes cited as a basis for the GRIBBLE’s originating in Cornwall, we have difficulty with this as the demograhics do not seem to support this view. Of course, it is possible that the name GRIBBLE has multiple origins!

• From The Homes and Family names in Great Britain by Guppy, London 1890:

• "GREBBELL or GRIBBLE is the name of an old and influential Rye (Sussex) family, now rare, members of which frequently filled the office of mayor in the 17^th and 18^th centuries." p 384.
• This is the only reference to GRIBBLE. There is no reference to Devon or Cornwall, despite one of the authorities quoted being "Gribble's Barnstaple". Guppy concentrates on the farming community, "as successors of Yoemen", representing the backbone of English society. That is, the source material is drawn from only a subset of that available.

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Please send your input, comments and suggestions by email to Jules Gribble or Michael Gribble.

Page Last Updated: 22 August 1998