2000
#7,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,896
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Graybill
An English occupational surname referring to a steward or manager of a medieval noble household.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,354 Americans carry the last name Graybill. That puts it at #8,351 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,722 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Graybill 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
4.4K
1 in 78,722
Census rank
#8,351
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,797 bearers of the surname Graybill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8351st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Graybill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Graybill
The surname Graybill is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northern regions, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "græg" and "bill," which together mean "gray bill" or "gray beak." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or a descriptive name to someone with a prominent or distinctive gray-colored beak or bill.
The earliest known record of the name Graybill dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273. This early record suggests that the name was already established in England by this time. Additionally, variations of the name, such as Graybyll and Graybell, can be found in various historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries.
One notable historical figure with the surname Graybill was Sir John Graybill, a prominent merchant and politician in the city of York during the late 15th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1487 and was respected for his contributions to the city's economic growth and development.
In the 17th century, the Graybill family had a strong presence in the county of Lancashire, particularly in the town of Preston. A noteworthy individual from this era was William Graybill (1622-1689), a successful landowner and farmer who played a significant role in the local community.
As the name spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles. In Scotland, the Graybill surname can be traced back to the 16th century, with records indicating a family of that name living in the Highlands region.
Another prominent figure with the Graybill surname was Robert Graybill (1785-1856), an English-born naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was known for his bravery and distinguished service, ultimately rising to the rank of Rear Admiral.
The Graybill name also has a presence in the United States, primarily due to immigration from England and Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable American with this surname was Elizabeth Graybill (1810-1892), an early pioneer and settler in the state of Indiana, who played a crucial role in the establishment of the community of Graybill Creek.
Throughout history, the surname Graybill has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, landowners, farmers, and military personnel, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Graybill
Among Census respondents with the surname Graybill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Graybill 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 Graybill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 3,484
- Two or more races3.3% · 125
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 110
- Black or African American1.2% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Graybill
Graybill 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
#8,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,967
+71 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 462 places
2020
#8,351
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,797
-170 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,883 | 3,896 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,345 | 3,967 | 1.34 | +71 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 462 places |
| 2020 | #8,351 | 3,797 | 1.27 | -170 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 6 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 Graybill 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 | #8,345 | #8,351 | -0.1% |
| Count | 3,967 | 3,797 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.27 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Graybill bearers went from 3,967 to 3,797 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,345 to #8,351.
FAQ
Graybill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Graybill?
Name Census estimates that about 4,354 living Americans carry the surname Graybill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,722 residents.
How common is Graybill?
Graybill ranks #8,351 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,797 people with the surname Graybill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,354), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Graybill.
Has Graybill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Graybill went from 3,967 recorded bearers to 3,797. That is a decrease of 170 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,345 to #8,351.
What does the Census say about the background of Graybill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Graybill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Graybill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (3,484 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Graybill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Graybill (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 Graybill mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a steward or manager of a medieval noble household. 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 Graybill (1.27 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 Graybill?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.