Grinling

Grinling is a masculine given name of English origin. The name is best known from Grinling Gibbons (1648–1721), an English woodcarver and sculptor whose ornate limewood reliefs and naturalistic garlands became a defining feature of late Baroque English decorative art. Gibbons enjoyed royal and noble patronage and contributed to major decorative schemes in Restoration England. Because of his prominence, the given name Grinling appears in historical records and biographical references as an example of 17th-century English naming practice. In modern times, Grinling is rarely used as a personal name and is mostly encountered in genealogical contexts or discussions of Gibbons.

Origin and meaning: The etymology of Grinling is not well established in reliable sources. The name is considered archaic, with no widely recognized meaning or cognate in contemporary usage. Variants and related forms have limited attestation outside English records of the late 17th to early 18th centuries.

Notable people:

- Grinling Gibbons (1648–1721), English woodcarver and sculptor whose work influenced English decorative art.

See also: Grinling Gibbons.