Grosvenor (surname)

Grosvenor (/ˈɡrvənər/ GROH-vən-ər) is a surname derived from Hugh Le Grand Veneur, a member of a Norman French family that aided William the Conqueror in 1066. Le grand veneur, which literally means "the master huntsman" in French, was an elevated title in William's 11th-century French court. Initially, Hugh was called Hugh Lupus. Lupus was overweight, and his townsmen gradually changed the appellation from le grand veneur ("the master huntsman") to le gros veneur ("the Fat Huntsman"), and Hugh wore the epithet with pride.[1]

  1. ^ "1066, Gilbert Le Grand Veneur, Hugh Lupus, & the Cheshire Cat," Saturday, 31 December 2011," John's Adventures in Genealogical Wonderland, Internet website [1], accessed January 25, 2020.