2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grebenc
A surname derived from a geographic location or topographic feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Grebenc. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grebenc 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Grebenc in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grebenc, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grebenc
The surname GREBENC is of Slovenian origin, originating in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is derived from the Slovenian word "greben," which means "ridge" or "crest," referring to a prominent geographical feature such as a mountain ridge or hilltop.
The name GREBENC likely originated in the Alpine regions of present-day Slovenia, where many families lived in villages and towns nestled among the rugged and picturesque mountain ranges. The addition of the suffix "-ec" or "-nc" to the root word "greben" suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or on a ridge or hilltop.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GREBENC can be found in the parish records of the town of Škofja Loka, located in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia, dating back to the early 1600s. These records mention individuals with the surname GREBENC, indicating that the name was already established in the area by that time.
In the late 17th century, the name GREBENC appears in the records of the Slovenian town of Radovljica, where a family of that name resided. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of the region by then.
One notable bearer of the GREBENC surname was Janez Grebenc (1736-1801), a Slovenian painter and church fresco artist who was active in the late 18th century. His works can still be found adorning the walls and ceilings of several churches in the region.
Another individual of note was Matija Grebenc (1817-1892), a Slovenian author and educator who wrote several textbooks and educational materials for children in the Slovenian language. He played a significant role in promoting and preserving the Slovenian language and culture during a time when it faced suppression under foreign rule.
In the 19th century, the GREBENC surname also appears in the records of the town of Idrija, known for its historic mercury mining industry. A family by the name of GREBENC was involved in the mining operations in that area during that period.
Towards the end of the 19th century and into the early 20th century, individuals bearing the GREBENC surname can be found in various parts of Slovenia, as well as in neighboring regions of Austria and Italy, where Slovenian communities had settled.
One notable figure from this era was Anton Grebenc (1873-1962), a Slovenian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Austrian Imperial Council and later as a member of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grebenc
Among Census respondents with the surname Grebenc, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Grebenc 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 Grebenc surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 109
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grebenc
Grebenc 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+8 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,598 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-11 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,783 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 1,598 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 11,783 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 Grebenc 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 | #134,712 | #146,495 | -8.7% |
| Count | 125 | 114 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grebenc bearers went from 125 to 114 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 11,783 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #146,495.
FAQ
Grebenc surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grebenc?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Grebenc. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Grebenc?
Grebenc ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Grebenc. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Grebenc.
Has Grebenc become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grebenc went from 125 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Grebenc?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grebenc, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Grebenc in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grebenc appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Black (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Grebenc (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 Grebenc mean?
A surname derived from a geographic location or topographic feature. 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 Grebenc (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 Americans have the surname Grebenc?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.