2000
#8,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,520
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Grajeda
A Catalan habitational surname derived from a place name of unknown meaning in Catalonia, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,050 Americans carry the last name Grajeda. That puts it at #7,298 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,872 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grajeda 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
5.0K
1 in 67,872
Census rank
#7,298
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,404 bearers of the surname Grajeda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7298th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grajeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grajeda
The surname Grajeda originates from Spain and is believed to have emerged during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "grajeda," which refers to a grove or cluster of oak trees. This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near or owned land with a significant oak grove.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Grajeda can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document from the 14th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname Grajeda, indicating that the name was already established in certain regions of Spain by that time.
The name Grajeda is also closely associated with the town of Grajeda de las Torres, located in the province of León, Spain. It is possible that the surname originated from this specific location, or that individuals from this area adopted the name as a way to identify their place of origin.
In the 16th century, Rodrigo Grajeda (1510-1578) was a notable Spanish jurist and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in the Royal Chancellery of Valladolid. His work on Spanish legal codes and jurisprudence was highly influential during his time.
Another prominent figure with the surname Grajeda was Juan Grajeda (1572-1634), a Spanish navigator and explorer who participated in several voyages to the Americas. He is credited with mapping and charting portions of the coastlines of present-day Mexico and Central America.
In the 18th century, Francisca Grajeda (1701-1767) was a notable Spanish poet and writer whose work focused on religious and devotional themes. Her collection of poems, titled "Flores de Abril," was widely circulated and celebrated during her lifetime.
Towards the end of the 19th century, José María Grajeda (1850-1925) was a renowned Spanish architect who designed numerous notable buildings and structures throughout Spain, including the iconic Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.
While the surname Grajeda has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other regions, particularly in Latin America, where it is still commonly found today. However, its origins and early historical significance remain firmly rooted in the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grajeda
Among Census respondents with the surname Grajeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Grajeda 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 Grajeda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.6% · 4,120
- White5.2% · 229
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 22
- Two or more races0.4% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
- Black or African American0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grajeda
Grajeda 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
#7,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,580
+1,060 bearers (+30.1%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 1,328 places
2020
#7,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,404
-176 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,603 | 3,520 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,275 | 4,580 | 1.55 | +1,060 bearers (+30.1%) | Up 1,328 places |
| 2020 | #7,298 | 4,404 | 1.47 | -176 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 23 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 Grajeda 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 | #7,275 | #7,298 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,580 | 4,404 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.47 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grajeda bearers went from 4,580 to 4,404 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,275 to #7,298.
FAQ
Grajeda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grajeda?
Name Census estimates that about 5,050 living Americans carry the surname Grajeda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,872 residents.
How common is Grajeda?
Grajeda ranks #7,298 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.47 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 4,404 people with the surname Grajeda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,050), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.47 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 Grajeda.
Has Grajeda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grajeda went from 4,580 recorded bearers to 4,404. That is a decrease of 176 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,275 to #7,298.
What does the Census say about the background of Grajeda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grajeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grajeda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (4,120 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grajeda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.6%), White (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Grajeda (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 Grajeda mean?
A Catalan habitational surname derived from a place name of unknown meaning in Catalonia, Spain. 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 Grajeda (1.47 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 Grajeda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.