This interesting surname, with over two hundred spelling forms and recorded in every European country is of Ancient Greek origins. Popular before the Christian era, it derives from "gregorien", a word meaning to be awake or watchful. The name was borne by two fathers of the Orthodox Church. The first being St. Gregory of Nazianzene (circa 325-390) and the second St. Gregory of Nyssa (circa 331-395). However its initial burst of popularity owed most to St. Gregory, The Great, the first Pope of all., 590 - 604 a.d.
The famous Crusades of the 11th and 12th century gave it another boost. It was the fashion and practice, for returning warriors from the Holy Land to christen their children with biblical or saintly names, particularly those associated with the early church. This was one of the most popular and the popularity is reflected in the wide range of the surnames. These stretch from Gregory, Grigor, Gligori, and Regorz, to Gruger, Greschke, Grzegorzecki, and Hrinchenko! The earliest of all recordings however are to be found in England, the first country to adopt both hereditary surnames and registers. Examples include John Grigory, in the Assize Rolls of the county of Somerset for the year 1280, and Joachim Gregorii, an attorney, of Magdeburg, Germany, in 1557. The first recorded spelling of the family name anywhere in the world, is believed to be that of Willelmus Gregorii, in the charters known as "The Danelaw" for the county of Lincoln, England, in the year 1143. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Research into the possible origins of hryniewicz leads us to learn more about those who bear this surname. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname hryniewicz is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation.
There is a considerable probability that hryniewicz has crossed the borders of its place of origin to establish itself, to a greater or lesser extent, in other parts of the world. With all the information we have today, it can be said that the countries where hryniewicz is most abundant are the following. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname hryniewicz provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
The deeds, the way of life, the places they lived, the family relationships they had, the jobs they held by those who were the first to be named hryniewicz are found in every look back in the history of this lineage. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname hryniewicz, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of hryniewicz developed.
It is common for genealogy and surname enthusiasts to provide us with information of special value, so the data we offer about the origins of hryniewicz could be modified. We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about hryniewicz and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
We assume that there have been significant contributions to humanity made by individuals with the surname hryniewicz, even though not all have been documented to our present day. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname hryniewicz were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. It is our desire to highlight in this section those individuals with the surname hryniewicz who, for various reasons, have left their mark on the course of history.
The bibliography collects information related to the surname hryniewicz, which allows us to learn more about its meaning. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of hryniewicz are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of hryniewicz, and at the same time, of surnames in general.