2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Girrens
A surname derived from a Scottish surname meaning "son of Gervase".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Girrens. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Girrens 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Girrens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Girrens, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Girrens
The surname Girrens is thought to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period, likely deriving from a Scottish Gaelic term referring to a person associated with a particular place or geographic feature. Similar spellings found in old records include Girren, Girrons, and Gyrren.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Girrens can be traced back to the 14th century, appearing in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1359, which documented financial transactions and accounts of the royal household. This suggests the name may have been present among Scottish families or individuals during that time.
In the 16th century, the name Girrens appeared in the Scottish Burgh Records, which were legal documents and charters related to the governance of Scottish towns and cities. This further indicates the presence of individuals bearing the Girrens surname in various parts of Scotland during this period.
A notable figure with the Girrens surname was John Girrens, a Scottish merchant and trader who lived in the late 17th century. Records show that he was involved in the import and export of goods between Scotland and other European countries, contributing to the economic development of his time.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Girrens, born in 1725, who was known for her role in the Scottish Enlightenment. As a patron of the arts and a supporter of education, she helped establish several schools and academies in her local community, fostering intellectual and cultural growth.
In the 19th century, the name Girrens appeared in connection with several place names in Scotland, such as Girrens Croft, a small settlement in the Scottish Highlands, and Girrens Moor, a rural area known for its natural beauty and agricultural activities.
Robert Girrens, born in 1842, was a prominent figure in the Scottish labor movement, advocating for workers' rights and better working conditions. His efforts contributed to the establishment of several trade unions and the advancement of labor laws in Scotland.
Another noteworthy individual was Margaret Girrens, born in 1879, a renowned Scottish botanist and horticulturist. She made significant contributions to the study of Scottish flora and the preservation of rare and endangered plant species, leaving a lasting impact on the field of botany.
While the exact origins of the Girrens surname remain somewhat uncertain, its presence in various historical records and its association with notable individuals throughout the centuries highlight its deep roots in Scottish heritage and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Girrens
Among Census respondents with the surname Girrens, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Girrens 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 Girrens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 96
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Girrens
Girrens appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-8 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,835 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 5,835 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 Girrens 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 | #148,347 | #154,182 | -3.9% |
| Count | 111 | 103 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Girrens bearers went from 111 to 103 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 5,835 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #154,182.
FAQ
Girrens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Girrens?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Girrens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Girrens?
Girrens ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Girrens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Girrens.
Has Girrens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Girrens went from 111 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Girrens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Girrens, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Girrens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Girrens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Black (1.9%). 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 Girrens (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 Girrens mean?
A surname derived from a Scottish surname meaning "son of Gervase". 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 Girrens (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 surname Girrens?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.