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

Grayton, 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 Grayton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grayton in America

Grayton is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grayton surname appeared 172 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 Grayton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grayton 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 Grayton

The surname GRAYTON is of English origin, and is thought to have originated in the late 12th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the place name "Graton" or "Grayton", which was a village in the county of Somerset. The name likely comes from the Old English words "grāe" meaning "grove" and "tūn" meaning "farm" or "settlement", suggesting that the original bearers of the name lived near a grove or wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GRAYTON appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, where a William de Grayton is listed. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 14th century. The spelling variations found in historical records include Grayton, Graton, Graitun, and Graytun.

In the 16th century, the GRAYTON surname can be found in various parish registers and tax records across Somerset and neighboring counties. One notable example is John Grayton, who was born in the village of Crewkerne, Somerset, in 1542. He served as a local magistrate and was a respected member of the community.

During the 17th century, the GRAYTON family seems to have spread across England, with records showing members of the family living in various parts of the country. One notable individual was Sir Thomas Grayton (1640-1712), a successful merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who served as the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1692.

In the 18th century, the GRAYTON name appeared in several notable publications, including the works of the philosopher and historian Edward Gibbon. He mentions a Captain Grayton who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763).

Another notable bearer of the GRAYTON surname was Sir William Grayton (1785-1859), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership, and was awarded several honors, including the Order of the Bath.

As the GRAYTON family continued to grow and spread throughout England and beyond, the name also took on various spellings and variations, such as Graton, Graydon, and Grayden. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained rooted in the Somerset village from which it derived.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grayton

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

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

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

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