2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gramkow
A surname derived from a place name in northern Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Gramkow. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gramkow 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Gramkow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gramkow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gramkow
The surname Gramkow is believed to have originated in Germany, likely during the 13th or 14th century. Its roots can be traced back to the Low German language, with "gram" potentially meaning "angry" or "disgruntled" and "kow" referring to a small hamlet or village. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive term for someone hailing from a particular disgruntled or discontented hamlet.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gramkow can be found in the Pomeranian region of what is now northern Germany and western Poland. In the late 15th century, a scribe named Hans Gramkow was mentioned in a manuscript documenting local land disputes. Additionally, an individual named Claus Gramkow was listed as a landowner in the town of Löcknitz, Pomerania, in 1532.
As the name spread throughout the German states, variations in spelling emerged, such as Gramkau, Gramkow, and Gramkau. These variations likely resulted from regional dialects and the inconsistent record-keeping practices of the time. Interestingly, the name appears to have been more prevalent in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in Mecklenburg and Pomerania.
Notable individuals with the surname Gramkow include:
1. Johann Gramkow (1624-1680), a German composer and organist known for his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude.
2. Ernst Gramkow (1862-1934), a German businessman and politician who served as a member of the Reichstag for the National Liberal Party.
3. Hedwig Gramkow (1887-1964), a German actress and film director who worked in the early years of German cinema.
4. Walther Gramkow (1904-1981), a German-born American linguist and professor of German at UCLA, known for his contributions to the study of Yiddish language and literature.
5. Hans Gramkow (1923-2005), a German football player and manager who played for Hamburger SV in the 1950s and later coached several clubs in the Bundesliga.
While the surname Gramkow is not among the most common in modern times, its history remains deeply rooted in the northern German regions, with a rich tapestry of individuals who have carried this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gramkow
Among Census respondents with the surname Gramkow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gramkow 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 Gramkow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 99
- Black or African American3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gramkow
Gramkow 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-16 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,361 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,794 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 22,361 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 6,794 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 Gramkow 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 | #144,141 | #150,935 | -4.7% |
| Count | 115 | 108 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gramkow bearers went from 115 to 108 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 6,794 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #150,935.
FAQ
Gramkow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gramkow?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Gramkow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Gramkow?
Gramkow ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Gramkow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gramkow.
Has Gramkow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gramkow went from 115 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Gramkow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gramkow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Gramkow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gramkow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Black (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Gramkow (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 Gramkow mean?
A surname derived from a place name in northern Germany. 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 Gramkow (0.04 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 share the surname Gramkow?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.