2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grefsrud
A surname of Norwegian origin, likely derived from a farm or location name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Grefsrud. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grefsrud 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Grefsrud in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grefsrud, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grefsrud
The surname GREFSRUD is of Norwegian origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period in Scandinavia. It is believed to have originated from a combination of old Norse words, with "gref" meaning a crevice or a small valley, and "rud" referring to a clearing in a forest.
This surname likely emerged as a descriptive identifier for individuals residing in or near a particular geographical location characterized by a small valley or a clearing amidst dense woodlands. The earliest known records of this surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Norway.
One of the earliest documented instances of the GREFSRUD name appears in the Gulating Law Codex, a Norwegian legal manuscript dating back to the early 13th century. This ancient text mentions a landowner named Thorbjorn Grefsrud, who was involved in a dispute over property boundaries.
In the 14th century, historical records from the county of Oppland in central Norway reference a prominent farmer and landowner named Olav Grefsrud. His descendants continued to use this surname for several generations, further establishing its presence in the region.
During the 16th century, the GREFSRUD surname gained recognition beyond its local origins. One notable bearer of this name was Sigrid Grefsrud, born in 1524, who was renowned for her exceptional skill in traditional Norwegian embroidery and needlework.
In the 18th century, a renowned scholar and linguist named Hans Grefsrud, born in 1712, contributed significantly to the study and preservation of the Norwegian language. His work on documenting and analyzing various Norwegian dialects and their linguistic roots earned him widespread recognition.
Another prominent figure bearing the GREFSRUD name was Nils Grefsrud, born in 1842, who played a crucial role in the development of the Norwegian fishing industry. His innovative techniques and advocacy for sustainable fishing practices helped shape the industry's growth and development during the latter half of the 19th century.
While the GREFSRUD surname has maintained a strong presence in Norway throughout its history, it has also been carried by individuals who emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly during the large waves of Norwegian migration to North America in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grefsrud
Among Census respondents with the surname Grefsrud, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Grefsrud 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 Grefsrud surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 86
- Two or more races8.7% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grefsrud
Grefsrud 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
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,607 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,607 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 4,787 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 Grefsrud 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 | #154,182 | -3.2% |
| Count | 110 | 103 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grefsrud bearers went from 110 to 103 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 4,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #154,182.
FAQ
Grefsrud surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grefsrud?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Grefsrud. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Grefsrud?
Grefsrud ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Grefsrud. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Grefsrud.
Has Grefsrud become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grefsrud went from 110 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Grefsrud?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grefsrud, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Grefsrud in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grefsrud appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Two or More Races (8.7%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Grefsrud (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 Grefsrud mean?
A surname of Norwegian origin, likely derived from a farm or location name. 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 Grefsrud (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 have the surname Grefsrud?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.