Greer
Usually a shortened form of McGregor, with roots in the Scottish clan name Gregory/Gregor.
The #590 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 5,413 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Greer is most often treated as a shortened form of Gregor or McGregor, especially in Scottish sources. Some 19th-century writers also linked it to Gregory, which may have influenced the spelling and later use of the name. A separate Welsh explanation was also proposed in older works, connecting it with a word for a herdsman, but that derivation is less secure.
History
Older Scottish genealogical writers say some members of the McGregor clan adopted Greer after the clan was proscribed, along with related forms like Greig, Gregg, and Gregory. The name is found in Scotland and Ulster, where Scottish surnames were widely carried by migration. In modern use, Greer is established as an independent surname as well as a reduced form of older clan-based names.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some old surname books specifically say Greer emerged when families from the McGregor clan shortened or altered their name under political pressure.
From the historical record
“was " the merrie green-wood." GREER. See Gregory. GREG. See Gregory. Gregg of Nor- clifte Hall, co. Chester, claims from the clan iMacgregor of Scotland. Kings James VI. (I) and Charles I. issued edicts against the clan Gregor, denouncing the whole clan, and forbade the use of the name; in conse- quence of which…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Greer
- Germaine Greer (b. 1939)
- Judy Greer (b. 1975)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.