Greiber last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Greiber

A German surname derived from a place name meaning "digger" or "excavator."

Greiber, 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 Greiber surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greiber in America

Greiber is the 146201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greiber surname appeared 113 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 Greiber.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greiber 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank14620111823621.15%
Count113136-18.47%
Proportion per 100k0.040.05-22.22%

The history of the last name Greiber

The surname GREIBER is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. This name is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

The name GREIBER is derived from the German word "greifen," which means "to grasp" or "to seize." It is likely that this surname was initially given to individuals whose occupation involved grasping or seizing objects, such as hunters, foresters, or those involved in trades related to woodworking or metalworking.

Historical records indicate that the earliest known written mention of the GREIBER surname dates back to 1543, when a Johannes Greiber was recorded in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the present-day state of Bavaria.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Andreas Greiber (1631-1698), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. His works were highly regarded during his lifetime and can still be found in various art collections across Europe.

Another prominent individual was Johann Christoph Greiber (1761-1826), a German theologian and author from Saxony. He wrote several influential works on theology and philosophy, which were widely read and discussed in academic circles of his time.

The GREIBER surname can also be traced back to the town of Greiben, located in the present-day state of Saxony-Anhalt. The earliest known record of this place name dates back to 1291, and it is possible that some individuals who hailed from this town adopted the surname GREIBER.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was Friedrich Wilhelm Greiber (1738-1802), a German composer and Kapellmeister (music director) from Saxony. He composed numerous works for the court of the Electorate of Saxony and is remembered for his contributions to the development of German church music.

During the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the GREIBER surname was Karl Greiber (1810-1888), a German businessman and industrialist from Baden-Württemberg. He played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in that region and was known for his innovative manufacturing techniques.

While the GREIBER surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, it remains a relatively uncommon name, with its highest concentration still found in German-speaking countries and regions with historical German settlements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greiber

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

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 Greiber was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only100.00%113
Non-Hispanic Black Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races0.00%0
Hispanic Origin0.00%0

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 Greiber has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White100.00%99.26%0.74%
Black0.00%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander0.00%0.00%0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0.00%0.00%
Two or More Races0.00%0.00%0.00%
Hispanic0.00%(S)%(S)%

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

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

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