This name derives from the Olde English 'graedig' meaning 'voracious' or 'ravenous' and was originally applied as a nickname to one having rather a large appetite. It occurs with the name Greedy, which derives from the same root. The surname Greed is first recorded in the late 12th century, (see first recorded spelling) but Greedy doesn't appear until the early 13th century 'Matildis Gredi - The Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire'. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Grede which was dated 1185 The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire during the reign of King Henry 11 The Builder 1154 - 1189 Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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