Find out how popular the last name Grams is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Grams.

Grams, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Grams surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grams in America

Grams is the 9437th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grams surname appeared 3,447 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Grams.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grams to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Grams

The surname Grams originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle Low German word "gram," which means "angry" or "displeased." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone with a grumpy or ill-tempered disposition.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Grams appeared in various German records and documents, particularly in the regions of Saxony and Brandenburg. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Bautzen, located in present-day Saxony, where a certain Hans Grams was mentioned in 1612.

The Grams surname has also been linked to several place names, such as Gramsdorf and Gramzow, which are villages in northeastern Germany. These place names likely originated from the same root word as the surname, potentially indicating that some individuals may have adopted the name based on their place of origin or residence.

Notable individuals with the surname Grams include Johann Grams (1685-1752), a German composer and organist from Dresden, who made significant contributions to the development of the classical music genre. Another prominent figure was Theodor Grams (1844-1916), a German philologist and scholar of Romance languages, who served as a professor at the University of Berlin.

In the 19th century, the name Grams appeared in various historical records and documents across Germany. For instance, Carl August Grams (1824-1904) was a German sculptor and painter known for his works depicting classical themes and mythological figures.

Additionally, the Grams surname has been associated with Johann Gottlieb Grams (1767-1834), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of hermeneutics, the study of interpretation and understanding.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning Hans-Jürgen Grams (1932-2018), a German football player and manager who had a successful career in the Bundesliga, the top professional football league in Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grams

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Grams.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Grams was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Grams has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Grams was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Grams, please contact us.

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