Grenville
From an English surname of Norman origin meaning "green town".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Grenville. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Grenville today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Grenville births was 1915 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Grenville. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Grenville is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Grenvilles were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Grenville. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1915
9 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1949 SSA rank
#3,907
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Grenville: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Grenville from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 19 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Grenville by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Grenville during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Grenville
The given name Grenville has its origins in the French language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "grenouille," meaning "frog," and the suffix "-ville," which signifies a town or village. Therefore, the name Grenville literally translates to "frog town" or "frog village."
The name's connection to frogs likely stems from the presence of these amphibians in the region where the name originated. It is believed to have first appeared in Normandy, France, during the 11th or 12th century. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval documents and records from that area.
While the name Grenville does not have any direct association with ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been linked to several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Sir Grenville Neville (c. 1380-1444), an English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War.
Another significant bearer of the name was Sir Richard Grenville (1542-1591), an English naval officer and explorer who was renowned for his bravery and determination. He played a crucial role in the Anglo-Spanish War and is particularly remembered for his defiant stand against overwhelming Spanish forces in the Battle of Flores in 1591.
In the 17th century, Sir Bevil Grenville (1596-1643) was an English soldier and Member of Parliament who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was killed in action at the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643.
Later, in the 18th century, George Grenville (1712-1770) was a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1763 to 1765. He is best known for his controversial policies, such as the Stamp Act, which contributed to the growing tensions between Great Britain and its American colonies.
In the 19th century, Lord Grenville (1759-1834), whose full name was William Wyndham Grenville, was a British statesman and Prime Minister from 1806 to 1807. He played a significant role in the formation of the Whig Party and was a prominent figure in British politics during his time.
People
Grenville + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Grenville as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Grenville: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Grenville?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Grenville going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Grenville a common name?
We classify Grenville as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 30 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Grenville most popular?
The single biggest year for Grenville was 1915, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Grenville is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Grenville in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Grenville a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Grenville in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Grenville still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Grenville in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Grenville can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Grenville?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.