Griner
A surname most likely linked to the German name Greiner, often associated with a grumbler or crier.
The #8,036 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,993 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Griner is most plausibly a variant spelling of German Greiner. That surname is commonly explained from a word meaning someone who cries, whines, or grumbles, so the original sense would have been a nickname for a querulous or loud person. The spelling with i for ei is a normal-looking English-language adjustment in immigrant records and surname variation.
History
The historical excerpts show Griner appearing among other expressive nickname surnames, which fits a Germanic nickname origin. In North America, spellings like Griner often arose as families moved through English-speaking record systems, where German names were simplified or respelled. The surname is relatively uncommon in the United States and is likely part of that broader German-American surname stream.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same nickname pattern that may lie behind Griner also produced other expressive surnames meaning things like joy, sweetness, or grumbling.
From the historical record
“Gaylord, Bright, Brightman, Hearty, Lively, Joy, MouNTJOY, LovEJOY, Gladden, Gladding, Willing (L. 238), Smiley, Griner, Wagman, Bland, Kind, Clement, Germain, Saveet, Sweetlin, Sweetman, SwEETSiR and Sweetser, Susman (suss is German for "sweet"), Sugarman, Shugarman, Flattery, Ful- som* (L. 687, f. 268), Honey…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)Notable people named Griner
- Brittney Griner (b. 1990)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.