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

Gregg, 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 Gregg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gregg in America

Gregg is the 1386th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gregg surname appeared 25,554 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Gregg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gregg 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 Gregg

The surname Gregg originates from Scotland and is derived from the Old English name Grig, which means "watchful" or "vigilant". The earliest recorded spelling of the name is believed to be Gregg, found in a Scottish census document from the year 1296.

The name Gregg is thought to have originated in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. It is believed to have evolved from the Gaelic name "Griogair", which was later anglicized to "Gregor" and eventually "Gregg".

In the Domesday Book, a record of landowners and tenants in England compiled in 1086, there are no recorded instances of the surname Gregg. However, the name is mentioned in various other historical records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries in Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gregg is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of documents recording the submission of Scottish noblemen to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, a "William Gregg" is listed as a tenant in the county of Ayr.

Another notable early bearer of the surname Gregg was John Gregg, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the 16th century and served as the Bishop of Dunkeld from 1554 to 1563.

In the 17th century, a family of Greggs was established in Northumberland, England, with the earliest recorded member being Robert Gregg, who was born around 1620 in Warkworth, Northumberland.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Gregg was Samuel Gregg (1735-1788), an American Revolutionary War soldier and statesman who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress.

Another notable Gregg was John Gregg (1806-1888), an American educator and author who developed the Gregg shorthand system, a widely used method of shorthand writing.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gregg include:

1. Percy Gregg (1866-1925), an English cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club.
2. Willa Gregg (1877-1952), an American author and poet known for her works on Native American culture.
3. David Gregg (1834-1916), a Union Army general during the American Civil War.
4. Norma Gregg (1894-1989), an Australian opera singer and actress who performed extensively in Europe and the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gregg

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

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

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

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