2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Degruchy
A French surname derived from "grochy", meaning "sullen" or "grumpy".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Degruchy. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Degruchy surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Degruchy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Degruchy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Degruchy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Degruchy
The DeGruchy surname originates from the Channel Islands, situated between the coasts of Normandy and Britain. Its roots can be traced back to the 16th century, derived from the old Norman-French word "gruchy," meaning a small valley or gulley.
The earliest recorded instances of the DeGruchy name appear in parish records from the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, dating back to the late 1500s. The name was likely adopted by families residing in or near these small valleys or gruchys, hence the moniker.
One of the earliest known bearers of the DeGruchy name was Jean DeGruchy, born in St. Ouen, Jersey, in 1612. Parish records from that time spell the name in various ways, including DeGruchy, Degruchy, and De Gruchy.
In the 17th century, the DeGruchy name also appeared in the Ecclesiastical Records of the Channel Islands, which documented important events such as baptisms, marriages, and burials. These records provide valuable insights into the lives and movements of DeGruchy families during that era.
As the centuries progressed, the DeGruchy name spread beyond the Channel Islands, with some notable individuals making their mark. For instance, John DeGruchy (1807-1887), a merchant and politician from Jersey, served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the island from 1857 to 1863.
Another prominent figure was Philip DeGruchy (1832-1915), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Guernsey. He made significant contributions to the island's education system and funded the construction of the DeGruchy Library, which still stands today.
In the late 19th century, James DeGruchy (1854-1931), a civil engineer from Jersey, oversaw the construction of several important infrastructure projects, including the St. Helier Harbour and the island's railway system.
Moving into the 20th century, Wilfred DeGruchy (1904-1978), a renowned artist from Jersey, gained recognition for his landscapes and seascapes depicting the Channel Islands' natural beauty.
Lastly, John DeGruchy (1923-2015), a respected theologian and academic from South Africa, made significant contributions to the field of Christian ethics and social justice through his teachings and writings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Degruchy
Among Census respondents with the surname Degruchy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Degruchy bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Degruchy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Degruchy
Degruchy appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,087 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-13 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,481 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 13,087 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 9,481 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Degruchy surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,201 | #155,682 | -6.5% |
| Count | 113 | 100 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Degruchy bearers went from 113 to 100 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 9,481 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #155,682.
FAQ
Degruchy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Degruchy?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Degruchy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Degruchy?
Degruchy ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Degruchy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Degruchy.
Has Degruchy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Degruchy went from 113 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Degruchy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Degruchy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Degruchy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Degruchy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (6.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Degruchy (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Degruchy mean?
A French surname derived from "grochy", meaning "sullen" or "grumpy". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Degruchy (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Degruchy?
See how many people are called Degruchy on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.