Greystoke

Greystoke is a name used in geography, literature, and film. In geography, it refers to a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England. The settlement lies near Penrith and is home to a historic estate associated with Greystoke Castle, which has long been linked to the local landed families.

In literature, Greystoke is best known as the aristocratic surname of Tarzan’s family in Edgar Rice Burroughs’s novels. Tarzan is introduced as John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, the heir to the title and estate of Greystoke, a lineage that is referenced in later interpretations of the character.

In film and media, Greystoke appears in the title of the 1984 movie Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. Directed by Hugh Hudson, the film adapts Burroughs’s origin story and stars Christopher Lambert as Tarzan, with the Greystoke name emphasized as part of his heritage.

Beyond fiction, Greystoke is also encountered as a surname in historical or genealogical contexts related to the Cumbria locality. The term thus spans real places and cultural works, with the most enduring association being Tarzan’s aristocratic lineage as Lord Greystoke.