2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grangruth
A variant surname derived from the Old Norse "Granrud" meaning "pine clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Grangruth. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grangruth 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Grangruth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grangruth, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grangruth
The surname Grangruth originated in the German region of Bavaria, dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German words "gran" meaning "a branch" and "ruth" meaning "a clearing," suggesting the name may have been associated with those who lived in or near a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grangruth can be found in a document from the town of Regensburg in 1521, where a Hans Grangruth is listed as a landowner. The name also appears in various church records from the surrounding villages throughout the 1500s and 1600s.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Grangruth name was Jakob Grangruth (1612-1687), a master woodcarver whose intricate works adorned several churches and monasteries in the Bavarian region. His son, Franz Grangruth (1639-1701), continued the family tradition and became a renowned sculptor, creating numerous religious statues and altarpieces.
As the Grangruth family expanded, some members ventured beyond Bavaria, with records showing a Johann Grangruth (1723-1798) settling in the city of Strasbourg, Alsace, where he worked as a successful merchant. Another notable individual was Katharina Grangruth (1776-1841), a midwife in the town of Augsburg, who was widely respected for her skill and compassion.
In the 19th century, the Grangruth name spread further across Europe, with a few individuals making their mark in various fields. One such person was Wilhelm Grangruth (1833-1892), a German botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and authored several influential works on the flora of central Europe.
Despite its relatively small population, the Grangruth surname has left its mark on history through the accomplishments of its bearers in various professions, from artisans and tradesmen to scholars and scientists, all tracing their roots back to the forested regions of Bavaria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grangruth
Among Census respondents with the surname Grangruth, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Grangruth 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 Grangruth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grangruth
Grangruth 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,068 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,878 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 5,068 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 12,878 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 Grangruth 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 | #137,327 | #150,205 | -9.4% |
| Count | 122 | 109 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grangruth bearers went from 122 to 109 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 12,878 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #150,205.
FAQ
Grangruth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grangruth?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Grangruth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Grangruth?
Grangruth ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Grangruth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Grangruth.
Has Grangruth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grangruth went from 122 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Grangruth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grangruth, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Grangruth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grangruth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Grangruth (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 Grangruth mean?
A variant surname derived from the Old Norse "Granrud" meaning "pine clearing." 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 Grangruth (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 Grangruth?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.