2000
#20,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,213
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Girod
A French surname derived from the Germanic personal name Gerard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,898 Americans carry the last name Girod. That puts it at #11,843 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Girod 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.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,273
Census rank
#11,843
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,527 bearers of the surname Girod in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11843rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Girod, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Girod
The surname GIROD has its origins in France, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "girer," which means "to wander" or "to turn." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname to someone who was known for their tendency to wander or move around frequently.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GIROD can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Savigny, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the Abbey of Savigny in Normandy, France. This document, dated around 1150, mentions a person named Girodum, which is likely an early spelling variation of the surname.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records across different regions of France, including the Franche-Comté, Burgundy, and Alsace. One notable example is the mention of a Jehan Girod in the Cartulaire de l'Église de Saint-Étienne de Dijon, a collection of charters and documents from the Church of Saint-Étienne in Dijon, dated around 1250.
The surname GIROD may also have been derived from certain place names in France, such as Giroux or Girod, which could have further influenced its spelling and pronunciation over time. As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling and pronunciation likely emerged, leading to forms like Giraud, Girault, and Giroud.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname GIROD have left their mark. One notable example is André Girod (1624-1692), a French painter and engraver who was born in Languedoc and known for his religious works and portraits. Another is Jean-Baptiste Girod (1767-1828), a French physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant morphology and classification.
In the 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Girod de l'Ain (1776-1842) was a prominent French lawyer and politician who served as a deputy in the French National Convention during the French Revolution. Later, Jean-Baptiste Girod de Vienney (1799-1884) was a French Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on religious topics.
The surname GIROD has also been carried by individuals in other parts of Europe and beyond. For example, Jean-Baptiste Girod (1821-1900) was a Swiss engineer and entrepreneur who played a crucial role in the development of the Swiss watchmaking industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Girod
Among Census respondents with the surname Girod, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Girod 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 Girod surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 2,219
- Black or African American4.8% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 96
- Two or more races2.2% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Girod
Girod 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
#16,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,689
+476 bearers (+39.2%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 3,491 places
2020
#11,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,527
+838 bearers (+49.6%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 5,033 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,367 | 1,213 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,876 | 1,689 | 0.57 | +476 bearers (+39.2%) | Up 3,491 places |
| 2020 | #11,843 | 2,527 | 0.85 | +838 bearers (+49.6%) | Up 5,033 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 Girod 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 | #16,876 | #11,843 | 29.8% |
| Count | 1,689 | 2,527 | 49.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.85 | 48.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Girod bearers went from 1,689 to 2,527 (+49.6% change). The surname moved up 5,033 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,876 to #11,843.
FAQ
Girod surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Girod?
Name Census estimates that about 2,898 living Americans carry the surname Girod. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,273 residents.
How common is Girod?
Girod ranks #11,843 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,527 people with the surname Girod. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,898), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Girod.
Has Girod become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Girod went from 1,689 recorded bearers to 2,527. That is an increase of 838 (+49.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,876 to #11,843.
What does the Census say about the background of Girod?
Among Census respondents with the surname Girod, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Girod in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (2,219 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Girod appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Black (4.8%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Girod (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 Girod mean?
A French surname derived from the Germanic personal name Gerard. 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 Girod (0.85 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 Girod?
See how many people have the last name Girod on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.