2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grayden
A place name from Graydon, an area in Cheshire, England, derived from gray (stony) and dun (hill).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Grayden. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grayden 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Grayden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grayden, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grayden
The surname Grayden is of English origin, and its roots can be traced back to the 13th century. It derives from the Old English words "graeg" and "denu," which together mean "gray valley" or "grey valley." This name likely originated as a place name, referring to a specific location characterized by its gray or ashen-colored valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grayden can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as "Greydene." This historical record suggests that the name was already in use and established during the medieval period.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure bearing the name Grayden was Sir John Grayden, a knight who served in the retinue of King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He participated in several notable battles and was rewarded with land grants for his loyalty and bravery.
The Grayden family later expanded their presence to other parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. In the 16th century, a notable member of the family was William Grayden, a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire. He was known for his philanthropic endeavors and his support of local churches and charitable institutions.
During the 17th century, the name Grayden gained further recognition with the birth of Thomas Grayden in 1625. He was a prominent clergyman and theologian who served as the Dean of Durham Cathedral. His writings and sermons were widely influential during his lifetime.
Another noteworthy figure was Captain Robert Grayden, who lived in the late 18th century. He was a renowned naval officer who served in the British Royal Navy and participated in several significant naval battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
In the 19th century, the Grayden family continued to make their mark in various fields. One notable individual was Sir Edward Grayden, born in 1832, who was a respected judge and legal scholar. He served as a High Court judge and contributed significantly to the development of English common law.
Throughout its history, the surname Grayden has been associated with various place names and locations in England, such as Grayden Manor in Yorkshire and Grayden Hall in Lincolnshire. These place names likely originated from the same roots as the surname, reflecting the family's historical connections to specific areas and properties.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grayden
Among Census respondents with the surname Grayden, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Grayden 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 Grayden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.2% · 71
- Black or African American28.8% · 34
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grayden
Grayden 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+8 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,412 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,283 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 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 1,412 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,283 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 Grayden 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 | #139,228 | #143,511 | -3.1% |
| Count | 120 | 118 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grayden bearers went from 120 to 118 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,283 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #143,511.
FAQ
Grayden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grayden?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Grayden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Grayden?
Grayden ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Grayden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Grayden.
Has Grayden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grayden went from 120 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Grayden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grayden, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Grayden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.2% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grayden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.2%), Black (28.8%), Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Grayden (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 Grayden mean?
A place name from Graydon, an area in Cheshire, England, derived from gray (stony) and dun (hill). 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 Grayden (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 many people share the surname Grayden?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.