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

Greggs, 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 Greggs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greggs in America

Greggs is the 17798th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greggs surname appeared 1,573 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Greggs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greggs 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 Greggs

The surname Greggs is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name "Greg" or "Gregg," which means "watchful" or "vigilant." The name may have also been influenced by the Old Norse name "Greggr," which has a similar meaning.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Greggs can be found in various medieval records and documents. For example, the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, mentions a person named "Gregge" in Lincolnshire.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Greggs has been associated with various places and locations. Some notable examples include the village of Greggs in Northumberland, which may have given rise to the surname, and the town of Greggs Flatts in Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname Greggs was Robert Greggs, who lived in Northumberland in the 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir William Greggs (1590-1662), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Carlisle.

In the 17th century, John Greggs (1611-1652) was a prominent English clergyman and theologian who served as the rector of Crayford in Kent. His writings and sermons were widely influential during his lifetime.

The 18th century saw the rise of James Greggs (1726-1803), a Scottish merchant and businessman who established a successful trading company in Glasgow. His descendants went on to become prominent figures in the city's commercial and social circles.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir John Greggs (1805-1876) was a renowned British architect who designed numerous churches, public buildings, and private residences across England. His most notable works include St. Peter's Church in Bournemouth and the Greggs Building in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Another notable figure from this time period was William Greggs (1835-1911), a British philanthropist and social reformer. He was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations and advocating for improved living conditions for the working classes in industrial cities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greggs

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

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

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

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