Grissom
A surname of uncertain origin, probably a variant spelling that developed in Britain and later became fixed in America.
The #3,116 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,701 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical sources provided do not give a full derivation for Grissom, only attest the name in variant lists. It is likely a spelling variant of an older surname form that was reshaped by regional pronunciation and later standardized in English-speaking records. Because the evidence here is incidental rather than an actual dictionary etymology, the literal root cannot be stated with confidence.
History
The name appears in 19th- and early-20th-century surname lists, suggesting it was established enough to be recognized as a family name by that time. In the United States it is now most familiar as a rare surname, with a modest modern presence. The historical record does not, in the excerpts supplied, identify a single clear place of origin or famous early bearer.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The supplied historical sources list Grissom alongside many spelling variants, which is a good reminder that surname spellings were often fluid before modern record-keeping fixed them.
From the historical record
“Grissam. Grissom. 197. 761 Gkeville. I Graven. 27”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland