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

Grassley, 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 Grassley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grassley in America

Grassley is the 91625th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grassley surname appeared 201 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Grassley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grassley 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 Grassley

The surname Grassley is believed to have its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German words "gras" and "ley," meaning "grass" and "meadow" or "clearing," respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked on a grassy meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Grassley can be found in the town records of Eberbach, in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany, from the year 1537. Here, a man named Hans Grassley is mentioned as a landowner and farmer.

As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Grasly, Graslie, and Grassli. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the individual scribes who recorded the names.

In the 17th century, a family by the name of Grassley settled in the region of Alsace, which at the time was part of the Holy Roman Empire. This branch of the family produced several notable figures, including Johann Grassley (1624-1692), a respected scholar and theologian.

The name also made its way to the British Isles, where it was anglicized to Grassley or Grassley. One of the earliest recorded instances of this anglicized spelling can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, from the year 1683, where a child named William Grassley was baptized.

In the 18th century, a man named Thomas Grassley (1712-1782) gained recognition as a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, England. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the country, contributing to the spread of the name.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Grassley was Sir Robert Grassley (1834-1912), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was knighted for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

As the Grassley name continued to disperse across Europe and beyond, it found its way to the United States, where it has been carried by several prominent individuals, including Charles Grassley (born 1933), a long-serving United States Senator from Iowa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grassley

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

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 Grassley 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 Grassley 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 Grassley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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