Grit
A name referring to perseverance, guts, courage, and resilience.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Grit. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Grit today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Grit births was 2023 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Grit. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Grit. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2023
6 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,302
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Grit: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Grit 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 Grit during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Grit
The name Grit is derived from the Old English word "greot," which means "bran" or "coarse ground grain." It was originally used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who appeared rough or coarse, possibly relating to their physical appearance or personality traits.
In the early Middle Ages, the name Grit began to be used as a given name, particularly in parts of England and Germanic regions. It was a popular name among the Anglo-Saxon and Viking communities, where strength and resilience were highly valued traits.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grit can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Grit in the county of Lincolnshire, England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Grit. One of the most famous was Grit Napp (c. 1280 - 1345), a German mercenary and military leader who fought in various conflicts across Europe during the 14th century.
Another prominent figure was Grit Heydrich (1901 - 1944), a German naval officer and U-boat commander during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his service and bravery in combat.
In the realm of literature, Grit Hjelm (1923 - 2001) was a Swedish author and poet known for her works exploring themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
The name Grit has also been used in religious contexts. Grit Schöne (1491 - 1558) was a German nun and abbess who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation, advocating for reforms within the Catholic Church.
In more recent times, Grit Jurgens (1932 - 2015) was a German actress and singer who achieved international fame for her roles in films and television shows during the 1950s and 1960s.
While the name Grit has fallen out of widespread use in modern times, it remains a unique and distinctive name with a rich historical background, reflecting the qualities of strength, resilience, and perseverance.
People
Grit + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Grit 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
Grit: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Grit?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Grit 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Grit a common name?
We classify Grit as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Grit most popular?
The single biggest year for Grit was 2023, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Grit is about 4 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 Grit in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Grit a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Grit 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 Grit still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Grit 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 Grit 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 people are called Grit?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.