Groves
Someone from a wooded area or cluster of trees.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Groves. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Groves today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Groves births was 1925 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Groves. 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 Groves. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1925
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1925 SSA rank
#4,493
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Groves: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Groves 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 Groves during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Groves
The given name Groves originates from Old English, derived from the word "graf" which means a grove or small wood. It was initially used as a surname referring to someone who lived near or owned a small forest or thicket of trees. The name can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, between the 5th and 11th centuries.
Groves was not a particularly common first name in ancient times, but there are a few notable historical references. In the 14th century, a monk named Groves of Winchester was known for his exceptional calligraphy and illuminated manuscripts. Additionally, in the 16th century, a Groves Barnard was recorded as a member of the Court of King Henry VIII.
The earliest recorded use of Groves as a first name dates back to the late 17th century. One of the first individuals to bear the name was Groves Wilcox, born in 1673 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in his local community.
Another notable figure with the first name Groves was Groves Brindley, an English civil engineer born in 1715. He was known for his innovative canal designs and played a crucial role in the development of inland waterways in Britain during the Industrial Revolution.
In the 19th century, Groves Dixwell was a respected British lawyer and judge, born in 1819. He served as a Justice of the Peace and was known for his fair and impartial rulings.
Groves Cooper, born in 1856, was an American writer and journalist. He was a prolific author and published several books on history and literature, contributing significantly to the literary scene of his time.
Groves Monson, born in 1887, was a British artist and illustrator. His intricate pen-and-ink drawings were widely acclaimed, and he is particularly known for his illustrations in children's books and magazines.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the first name Groves. While not an exceedingly common name, it has been present in various cultures and time periods, often associated with a connection to nature and the outdoors.
People
Groves + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Groves 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
Groves: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Groves?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Groves 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 - US residents.
Is Groves a common name?
We classify Groves as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Groves most popular?
The single biggest year for Groves was 1925, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Groves is about 0 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 Groves in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Groves a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Groves 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 Groves still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Groves 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 Groves 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 have the name Groves?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.