2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Granica
A Polish surname derived from the word "granica" meaning "border" or "boundary".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Granica. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Granica 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Granica in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Granica, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Granica
The surname Granica has its origins in Poland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Polish word "granica," which means "border" or "boundary." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a border or worked as a border guard.
In the 14th century, the name Granica appeared in several historical documents, including the Tarnów land records from the year 1368. These records mention a man named Piotr Granica, who was a landowner in the village of Krosno.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Granicza," which was found in the Kraków land records from the year 1420. This variation is believed to be an older version of the modern spelling.
During the 16th century, the name Granica was associated with several notable individuals. One of them was Jan Granica, a Polish nobleman who was born in 1530 and served as a military commander during the Polish-Swedish War.
Another notable figure was Katarzyna Granica, a Polish poet and writer who lived from 1560 to 1635. Her works, which included poems and plays, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
In the 18th century, the name Granica appeared in the town of Granica, located in the Podkarpackie region of Poland. This town was likely named after a family with the surname Granica, who may have been among the original settlers or landowners in the area.
One of the most prominent individuals with the surname Granica was Józef Granica, a Polish military officer who was born in 1780 and served in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of general and was awarded several honors for his bravery and leadership.
Another noteworthy figure was Marianna Granica, a Polish noble woman who lived from 1820 to 1892. She was known for her philanthropic work and her support for various charitable causes throughout her life.
The surname Granica has a rich history in Poland, dating back centuries and being associated with notable individuals from various walks of life, including military commanders, writers, poets, and landowners.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Granica
Among Census respondents with the surname Granica, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Granica 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 Granica surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 102
- Black or African American3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Granica
Granica 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-10 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,616 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 20,616 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,986 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 Granica 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 | #158,432 | #149,446 | 5.7% |
| Count | 102 | 110 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Granica bearers went from 102 to 110 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #149,446.
FAQ
Granica surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Granica?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Granica. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Granica?
Granica ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Granica. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Granica.
Has Granica become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Granica went from 102 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Granica?
Among Census respondents with the surname Granica, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Granica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Granica appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Black (3.6%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Granica (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 Granica mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "granica" meaning "border" or "boundary". 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 Granica (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 common is the surname Granica?
See how many people have the surname Granica on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.