Show ContentsGrobbelaar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Grobbelaar family

The surname Grobbelaar was first found in Mecklenburg, where the name Gruben contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation, and would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. Over time, the Gruben family name branched into other houses, where their influence continued to be felt because of the important role they played in the local social and political affairs.

Early History of the Grobbelaar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grobbelaar research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1645, 1712, 1774, 1805 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Grobbelaar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grobbelaar Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gruben, Grubbe, Grubben, Grüben, Grubel, Grubendal, Gruber, Grüber, Grubenhaus and many more.

Early Notables of the Grobbelaar family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grobbelaar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grobbelaar Ranking

In South Africa, the name Grobbelaar is the 619th most popular surname with an estimated 11,120 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Grobbelaar family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Carl Friederich Grobler, who came to Philadelphia in 1752.


Contemporary Notables of the name Grobbelaar (post 1700) +

  • Christie Grobbelaar (b. 2000), South African rugby union player, who competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics
  • General Pieter Grobbelaar DSO (1908-1988), South African Army Defence Force head, from 1961 to 1965
  • Bruce David Grobbelaar (b. 1957), former Rhodesian/Zimbabwean-South African-British football goalkeeper
  • Madelaine Grobbelaar Petsch (b. 1994), American actress and social media personality


  1. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames


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