2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Graustein
A German surname derived from a geographic name related to the color "gray".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Graustein. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Graustein 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Graustein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Graustein, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Graustein
The surname Graustein originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe during the Middle Ages. Its roots can be traced back to the Old High German words "grau" meaning "gray" and "stein" meaning "stone." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a distinctive gray stone or rocky outcrop.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Graustein can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dated to the 13th century. This indicates that the name was already well-established in central Germany by that time.
In the 14th century, a man named Johannes Graustein was mentioned in the municipal records of the city of Erfurt, located in modern-day Thuringia, Germany. This provides evidence that the name had spread throughout the region and was being used by urban dwellers as well as those living in rural areas.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the name Graustein was Hans Graustein (c. 1490-1559), a German painter and woodcarver who worked in the city of Nuremberg. His intricate artworks adorned several churches and public buildings in the city and surrounding areas.
In the 17th century, a man named Friedrich Graustein (1622-1685) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and author based in the city of Leipzig. His writings on religious doctrine and philosophy were widely circulated throughout the German states during his lifetime.
Another notable individual with the Graustein surname was Carl Graustein (1826-1899), a German-born engineer who emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century. He played a significant role in the construction of several major railway systems in the American West, including the Union Pacific Railroad.
As the name Graustein spread from its origins in central Germany, it underwent various spelling variations in different regions, such as Grausten, Grausteyn, and Graustine. However, the core meaning and pronunciation remained largely unchanged over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Graustein
Among Census respondents with the surname Graustein, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Graustein 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 Graustein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Graustein
Graustein 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,487 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-10 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,287 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 4,487 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 6,287 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 Graustein 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 | #149,395 | #155,682 | -4.2% |
| Count | 110 | 100 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Graustein bearers went from 110 to 100 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 6,287 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #155,682.
FAQ
Graustein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Graustein?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Graustein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Graustein?
Graustein ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Graustein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Graustein.
Has Graustein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Graustein went from 110 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Graustein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Graustein, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Graustein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Graustein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Graustein (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 Graustein mean?
A German surname derived from a geographic name related to the color "gray". 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 Graustein (0.03 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 Graustein?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.