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

Gratch, 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 Gratch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gratch in America

Gratch is the 133048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gratch surname appeared 127 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 Gratch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gratch 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 Gratch

The surname GRATCH has its origins in the German regions of central Europe, with the earliest known recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "graz," meaning "grass" or "grassy meadow." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive term for someone who lived near a grassy area or worked with grass in some capacity.

One of the earliest documented mentions of the GRATCH name can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the town of Nuremberg, which refers to a "Heinrich Gratzch." This spelling variation likely reflects the evolution of the name over time, as well as regional dialects and scribal variations.

In the 14th century, records from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria mention a family with the surname GRATCH. This indicates that the name had become established as a hereditary surname by this period.

A notable early bearer of the GRATCH name was Hans Gratch, a merchant from the city of Augsburg who was born in 1482 and lived until 1561. He was a prominent figure in the lucrative textile trade and played a role in the establishment of the Fugger banking dynasty.

Another important figure was Konrad Gratch (1525-1598), a German theologian and reformer who was a close associate of Martin Luther. He played a significant role in the spreading of Protestant teachings throughout Germany.

In the 16th century, the GRATCH name also appears in records from the Swiss city of Basel, where a family by that name was involved in the printing and publishing industry.

During the 17th century, a branch of the GRATCH family migrated to the Netherlands, where they adopted the Dutch spelling "Gratch." One notable member was Jan Gratch (1630-1712), a skilled glassmaker who was known for his innovations in the production of stained glass.

As the centuries progressed, the GRATCH name continued to spread across Europe, with various branches establishing themselves in different regions and occupations. Some notable bearers in later centuries include the German philosopher Wilhelm Gratch (1796-1876) and the Dutch painter Johannes Gratch (1867-1924).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gratch

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

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

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

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